The Villa Romana del Tellaro Noto Antica Eloro The Sanctuaries Castelluccio Vendicari

Leaving the town centre and following the way to the city graveyard, we turn on the right and next to the left on the way to C/da Zupparda. We pass the Noto-Pachino crossign, after few meters we turn on the right, following the way till the fork. We turn again to the right and after about a thousand of meters we can see, on the left, the Pizzuta Pillar or Piliere, which was part of the funeral area of the Eloro town. This pillar has an almost cylindrical shape, it is ten meters tall and is built upon a step basement. They also found a funeral couch and an armchair, completely excaved in the stone, a mirror and some coins depicting king Ierone II. By means of these elements we can place the sepulchre in the Ellenistic Age (III century B.C.). Few kilometers away, following the signals, we arrive to Eloro, which arises on a short hill, bounded to the est from the Ionio sea, and to the south from the Eloro river (Tellaro).

About 700 years before Christm, the Siracusan Corintians built a small military town, next endowed with a powerful boundary wall in the VI century B.C. They also built a Sanctuary dedicated to Demetra and Kore, also called Koreion, built outside the wall (VI century B.C.). This sanctuary has been partially rebuilt in the Civic Museum. Next they had an Asklepeion dedicated to Esculapio with a Thesaurós (IV century B.C.), a temple dedicated to Demetra (III century B.C.), a small greek theatre (IV century B.C.) partly excaved in the hill, to the south, and partly a brickwork. In the II century B.C. Eloro was endowed with a stoà/porticus of Doric style. In the south-weastern corner of the hurban zone, was build (in greek age) a fortress (the Castellum), named by Plinio il Vecchio (I century A.C.). In 1353, Count Blasco Alagona had sighting tower built on this site.

The agorà (square) of Eloro, political and trading centre, was crossed by the main way which brought the traveller in the Via Elorina to Siracusa.