Discovering the traces of the first Christians in the city of Catania

Welcome to Catania Airport! Firstly, go and rent a car...a fantastic trip is waiting for you!

Welcome to Catania, the very famous city built and rebuilt for millennia, on the slopes of the Etna Volcano! Catania was founded by the Greeks in 729 BC, was a great and riche Roman city and here Saint Agatha was born and martyrized, becoming one of the most worshipped Saints in the world. Here we will discover the very first traces of Christianity, which are strictly connected to Saint Agatha. If you want to discover some of the most important monuments of the city, here is a suggested izi.TRAVEL audiotour.

Before starting the tour, leave your luggage at the b&b I've chosen for you and bring a backpack with you and wear comfortable shoes!

First of all, start with you stomach full! A little walk from the b&b let you see the beautiful Duomo square, with the Cathedral of Saint Agatha, a Norman church rebuilt in Baroque style after the 1693 earthquake, becoming one of the monument declared World Heritage UNESCO site for its incredible architectural style. After this little walk, the Osteria Antica Marina is waiting for you with incredible fresh fish dishes!

The Amphitheatre of Catania was built in the Roman Imperial period, probably in the 2nd century AD, on the northern edge of the ancient city at the base of the Montevergine hill, where the upper part of the city was set, since the Greek phase. Only a small portion of the structure is now visible, below ground level, to the north of Piazza Stesicoro. If you want to see how it would appeared in the Roman times, here is the 3D reconstruction!

The prison is one of the central places around which the story of the young Christian Agata revolves. After the martyrdom of the breasts, Agata was taken to this prison and received a visit from St. Peter and the angel who healed her of her wounds. The Church of the Saint Jail or Saint Agatha at the Jail (Santo Carcere or Sant'Agata al Carcere) was built around 1760, on the place of a more ancient late medieval church. This temple includes the ancient jail where Saint Agatha was allegedly imprisoned during her martyrdom.

The church, with a single nave, was built in the eighteenth century after the terrible earthquake of 1693, on the place where, according to tradition, the furnace in which Sant'Agata suffered martyrdom was located.

Considered, according to tradition, the first Cathedral of Catania, it stands on the site of the Roman praetorium where Agata was tried. Around the 8th century, the body of the martyr was brought here and a large cemetery area was also built around it (this portion was, in antiquity, outside the urban settlement). The current church, with a single nave, is the result of the 18th-century post-earthquake reconstruction, with traces of the previous one, and a crypt that partly incorporates Roman structures of a public building. Inside you can see the "Sarcophagus of Sant’Agata", which was an ancient Roman marble sarcophagus, reused in the Byzantine era and today used as an altar table.

The Terme della Rotonda) represent one of the most important archaeological remains of the city of Catania. The Roman bath structure, which was built starting from the 1st century AD and remained unchanged until the 6th AD, is made up of a large complex of quadrangular and circular areas interconnected with each other; according to archaeologist, when the bath stopped to be used, in this period was built the church of Santa Maria della Rotonda. Finally, in the 9th century, the area was enriched by a necropolis that will remain in use until the late Renaissance. It was Prince Biscari, in the 18th century, who advanced the hypothesis that it was a thermal environment from the Roman period. During the visit you can observe some medieval frescoes depicting: the Madonna and the bishops Nicola and Leone the Wonderworker.

According to tradition, this was the very first Christian church in Catania, and was built in 262 AD, by the fourth bishop of the city Sant'Everio and dedicated to Santa Maria di Betlem.
The underground church was built inside a lava cave, already used in Roman times. In the past there was already a building above the cave but it was damaged several times, firstly destroyed by the Muslims and then by the earthquake of 1693. The Church currently visible dates to the 18th century, but above the church a beautiful cult area cut in the rock is currently used for little ceremonies and dated back to the first Christianity.

Walking along the Etna street you can taste the excellent desserts of the Catania pastry shop. Do you know the "minne di Sant'Agata"? they are a typical dessert made with marzipan and ricotta, the outside is white and above there is a candied cherry. They remember, in a sweet way, the tragedy of the martyrdom suffered by Agata with the cut of her breasts.

Take a short break before enjoying dinner and strolling through the illuminated streets of Catania.

The city of Catania is very famous for its large port and fish market. We advise you to dine with a cone of mixed fried fish and a light, sparkling wine.

The day was long and full of emotions, return to the B&B to spend a good night