AudioZoom into Catania: A guide to the city of fire and rebirth

Catania is a city shaped by fire and rebirth, and its ancient Greek ruins, Norman castles, and stunning Baroque architecture have survived to tell the story. On this walking tour, you’ll amble along the elegant main road, Via Etnea, and through atmospheric side streets where Mount Etna’s dramatic presence has influenced every chapter of the Sicilian city’s 2,800-year history.

Starting in Giardino Bellini, the romantic gardens dedicated to composer Vincenzo Bellini, you’ll walk down the city’s grand main boulevard. You’ll learn how it was redesigned after the catastrophic 1693 earthquake that levelled Catania, prompting its spectacular Baroque reconstruction.

You’ll see famous landmarks like the bustling La Pescheria fish market, where vendors hawk fresh swordfish in rapid-fire Sicilian dialect, and the intimate Greek-Roman theatre tucked behind modern apartment buildings. As you make your way to the massive Monastero dei Benedettini di San Nicolò l’Arena (Benedictine Monastery) where the tour ends, you’ll discover why Catanians proudly call their home the Black City, building their homes from the volcanic stone that’s both threatened and sustained them for millennia.

On this 75-minute Catania walking tour, you’ll have a chance to:

• Stand beside the the city’s beloved mascot in Piazza Duomo, the lava stone elephant carrying an ancient Egyptian obelisk called Fontana dell Elefante (Elephant Fountain)
• Hear about the Roman Amphitheatre of Catania where 15,000 spectators watched gladiator battles, buried beneath Piazza Stesicoro today
• Walk through the elegant Teatro Massimo Bellini square, dedicated to the city’s most famous son, whose operas like Norma still grace stages worldwide
• Learn how the 1669 Mount Etna eruption dramatically reshaped the city, pushing the coastline away from medieval Castello Ursino
• Stroll one of Sicily’s most beautiful streets, Via dei Crociferi, lined with four magnificent Baroque churches
• Experience the spiritual heart of Catania at Basilica Cattedrale di Sant’Agata, the cathedral that’s home to relics of the patron saint, whose veil supposedly halted threatening lava flows

This tour covers roughly two miles at a leisurely pace, with stops at major sites and quiet moments in lesser-known squares.