Inside the Grotticelle necropolis there is a beautiful Roman tomb entirely excavated in the rock.

Who arrives in Syracuse from the north can see it immediately before arriving at the entrance to the Neapolis archaeological park.

Actually it is not the true tomb of the famous Syracusan genius, having been built several centuries after his death.

It was the will of Archimedes that his tomb would have the symbols of a sphere and a cylinder, in memory of its studies, and these elements are not in this necropolis.

Already after a century after Archimedes's death no one knew where his grave was; Cicero wrote that he rediscovered it, with the figures described above, but it was in a necropolis near the ancient Agrigentina gate, which was in a completely different place than this.

The tomb fell back into oblivion, and to date has not yet been rediscovered.

The tomb that we describe here is characterized by a beautiful triangular tympanum in the façade, and inside, not open to visitors, contains niches that housed the cinerary urns.

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