The church of San Giovanni was bombed, leaving only the part shown in the photo. During this period the citizens of Siracusa made use of the underground chambers initially associated with Greek watering devices and later by the early Christians as hiding places and tombs.
The underground area is huge and it would be absolute simplicity to be lost without the (compulsory) guided tour.
There are impressive ancient frescoes in these catacombs, which were visited by St Paul.
