July 3, 2024
The Ear of Dionysius Cave, Syracuse, Sicily
Near to the ancient Greek theatre of Syracuse is a limestone cave known as ‘The Ear of Dionysius’. The name was given by the painter Michelangelo da Caravaggio (1571-1610), who heard the legend that local tyrant Dionysius 1st (432-367 BCE) used the cave as a prison for his political enemies and was able to listen to their subversive plans thanks to the acoustic qualities of the cave. The echo is remarkable and is said to form a 16*repeat in it’s sweetest spot. These photos were taken in September 2008.
Podcast Announcement 16th March 2026 - Advertisments
A small announcement about the podcast. If you have listened to any episodes recently you will have noticed that advertisements are now playing at the start, middle and end each episode. Placing advertisements in the podcast is a way of…
The Peacham Drawing: Titus Andronicus
'Titus Andronicus' is notable for being the subject of the only contemporary illustration of a Shakespeare play. Known as the Peacham drawing, and currently in the Library at Longleat House in Wiltshire, the seat of the Marquis of Bath, the dr…