Il complesso delle Latomie a Siracusa: un bene culturale e ambientale da rivalutare.

The authors present the results of a botanical study dealing with the gardens of the Latomie, a complex of spectacular quarries in Syracuse (Sicily) used in ancient times to get stones for building the Greek town, and today totally enclosed by the urban expansion. The present conditions of each garden are analysed as regards the primary arrangement and their exotic and wild flora in order to emphasize both the historical and cultural value, as well as the ecological and natural role of these particular archaeological sites. The presence of significant patches of natural vegetation, together with the development of dangerous invasive plants, suggest urgent actions for the management and valorisation of such a cultural and environmental heritage.