PAESAGGI SACRI DELLA SICILIA ORIENTALE: RIFLESSIONI ARCHEOLOGICHE E TOPOGRAFICHE SU AREE DI CULTO E VIABILITÀ

Abstract

The diachronic analysis of the relationships that link sacred places and roads is a tool to understand how the landscapes of
ancient Sicily were articulated, structured, and modified through the millennia. For this reason, reconstructing ancient roads has
become crucially important in recent decades also for exploring the materiality of religious practices in Greek and Roman times.
This work aims to examine in detail certain archaeological and topographical aspects related to this theme, focusing specifically
on selected sections of the Via Pompeia, the main route of eastern Sicily as case studies: the extreme northeast of the island, from
Capo Peloro to Pistunina (Messina), through the Ionian-Etna region between Acireale and Catania, and the final stretch leading
to Syracuse.

Keywords: Ancient topography, Routes Network, Sacred Landscape, Greek Sicily, Roman Sicily