Duration: 3 Hours
Starting with your local expert English speaking walking guide at the Roman Amphitheatre in the heart of Catania. It was built using basaltic dark lava stones, at a lower level than the baroque town. You will enjoy a special baroque atmosphere strolling Catania at your own pace through its elegant streets & piazzas, and splendid churches. Your expert guide will also introduce you to three thousand years of foreign domination on the island.
You will see archaeological finds showing you the layers below the baroque town, dating all the way back to the Roman period, the University Palace with its lovely courtyard (not on Sundays) decorated with Etna pebble mosaic, The Cathedral (a fortress church), two of the “Seven Doors” protecting S. Agatha’s treasure and the famous “candelora” (weighing around 2.500 pounds-1 ton, 200 kg), in full silver sculptured by hand and carried on people’s shoulders all around the town during the patron saint’s celebration week.
You will also see the Ursino Castle, where Frederic the second lived and finally admire an abundance of quaint shops, boutiques, great restaurants, very tempting cafeterias, with unique Sicilian ricotta or almond and pistachio cookies or traditional ice-creams (the first one in history was produced in this province).
Before finishing the tour, you can’t miss a visit of “Pescheria”, the open fish market which reminds us of an African souk.
Inclusions:
- Private local English-speaking expert walking guide
