Ancient Catania
- Easy
The path of this itinerary will let you discover the archaeological and historic evidences of Catania that survived after the frequent earthquakes and Etna eruptions. Many ancient building still remains under the modern city road surface but they can be equally visited.
Roman Amphitheatre
The “underground” monument is well preserved and visible, overlooking Piazza Stesicoro, below the road surface. The monument is almost completely covered by modern buildings and is the second in size only to the Colosseum.
Achilliane Thermae
Thanks to the water wealth enjoyed by the city in Roman times, in that period were built many thermaes of which are still visible remains of the Achilliane thermae, Indirizzo and Rotonda’s ones. The Achilliane thermae extend below the Duomo’s level and its square walked …
Unmissable stop for admiring the "hidden" grandeur of Roman period.
Indirizzo’s Thermae
The Indirizzo’s thermae are still in good condition, there is one of the Roman buildings still visible in the city. The presence of the thermal building demonstrates how the city was developed in the late Roman era. Inside of it, it is possible to see the original frame.
Roman theatre and Odeon
Between via Teatro Greco and via Vittorio Emanuele there are the Roman Theatre and the Odeon. Some people assumed that their building dates back to II sec. AD, and that the theatre was carried out on a pre-existing Greek Age structure.
It is one of the few places in Catania where you can see Amenano river.
Rotonda’s Thermae
The thermal building called “Rotonda’s one” is located in one of the most characteristic areas of Catania. It’s surrounded by a series of streets and alleys in the oldest part of town. The thermae survived to the terrible earthquake in 1693 and for this reason scholars have long considered them the example of building skill.