{"id":68381,"date":"2015-02-18T20:30:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-18T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sicile-sicilia.net\/?p=68381"},"modified":"2026-10-14T08:21:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T07:21:20","slug":"augusta-and-brucoli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sicile-sicilia.net\/en\/augusta-and-brucoli","title":{"rendered":"Augusta and Brucoli"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A few kilometres further north of ancient Megara Hyblaea, Augusta<\/strong> was founded on an isthmus in the 13th century by Frederick II.
The town of Augusta<\/strong> is not a tourist destination, yet it retains a harmonious historic centre on the island, a fortress of Swabian origin and beautiful churches.
To the north, Brucoli<\/strong> is a beautiful natural and coastal site with a photogenic old castle.<\/p>\n

Augusta<\/h2>\n

The town of Augusta, with a population of nearly 34,600 inhabitants, lies north of Syracuse, from which it is separated by nearly 35 kilometres, on a peninsula in the Gulf of Augusta.
It lives off the activity of its large commercial port linked to petroleum products, with the proximity of the large petrochemical complex “Augusta-Priolo”.<\/p>\n

\"Augusta<\/a>

Augusta Cathedral<\/p><\/div>\n

It was founded near the site of the ancient Doric Greek city of Megara Hyblaea by Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, in 1232, under the name Augusta Veneranda.
In 1676, the naval battle of Agosta<\/em><\/a> took place in its port, between the German\/Spanish fleets against the French, as part of the Franco-Dutch War.
After the 1693 earthquake the town was rebuilt.
During the Second World War it was a Royal Navy base and a landing port for the Anglo-American forces (on 10 July 1943).
Today, Augusta is home to one of the main Italian naval bases, the Marisicilia Naval Base, headquarters of the maritime command of Sicily. <\/p>\n

Where Augusta is located: map<\/h3>\n
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Visiting Augusta and its surroundings<\/h3>\n
\"Entrance<\/a>

Porta Spagnola and Swabian castle<\/p><\/div>\n

The historic centre occupies an island connected to the mainland by two bridges, the oldest of which enters the town through the Spanish gate (“porta spagnola”, from 1681-82), dominated by the Swabian castle<\/strong> built in the time of Frederick II and later remodelled. The island was previously a peninsula, until the isthmus was dug in the 16th century.
In the centre the two main monuments are the cathedral (Chiesa Madre Santa Maria Assunta) and the Dominican church (Chiesa di San Domenico).
In the surroundings, the “sbarcatore dei turchi” (landing place of the Turks) on the coast to the east is a pretty coastal site, but now located in an inaccessible military zone. The Faro di Capo Santa Croce lighthouse (1859) marks the north-eastern end of the Gulf of Augusta.<\/p>\n

Every year local events are held linked to the sea, fishing and the town’s maritime tradition<\/p>\n

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