Mystery Tours in Catania by Night

Catania by night is a city worth discovering: from sunset to dawn, the city at the foot of Etna loses none of its grit and liveliness; if anything, it seems to come alive with even more energy.
At night the streets of Catania are crowded with people strolling and flowing endlessly into the city's countless temples of taste and Bacchus: pubs, wine bars, cafés, pastry shops, trattorias, restaurants, pizzerias and fast-food spots.
And it is these very venues, with their bright signs and modern designs, that make the Baroque architecture and the paving, where hard black basalt reigns supreme, even more evocative.

Your romantic traveller's eye will surely have noticed that, above the comings and goings of locals and tourists enjoying Catania's nightlife, the witnesses and guardians of the city's historical and cultural identity tower in the night: monuments, ancient churches and noble palaces. Against the black backdrop of the lava stone that defines the city's streets and buildings, the play of reflections and shadows cast by neon signs and street lighting makes these historic buildings look even taller and grander.

What are the best guided tours of Catania by night?

Wouldn't it be an unforgettable experience to visit Catania by night and listen, under the moon and stars, to the anecdotes and legends set in its historic sites?
Here are some guided itineraries, easily reached from Palazzo Speciale, that take place after sunset to show you Catania and its monuments in a different light. Literally.

Museum education and mystery with Officine Culturali

The tours offered by Officine Culturali, run during specific evening events and also bookable by individual visitors, will take you to discover a place as magnificent as it is mysterious: the former Benedictine Monastery of Catania.
The Officine Culturali evening tours listed in this guide take place during dedicated events and must be booked in advance; for more information call 095 7102767 or 334 9242464.

On the evening tour Lights and Shadows of the Monastery (Luci e Ombre del Monastero) you will be guided through silent corridors to discover the remains of the Roman domus, the underground rooms, the cloisters and the kitchen that once belonged to Catania's powerful monks, portrayed in a far from flattering light by the writer Federico De Roberto in his novel I Vicerè (The Viceroys).
Along the way you will discover that the story of the Benedictine Monastery sums up the entire history of the city.
Tickets cost about €8; the price drops to €5 for visits every Sunday of the month and for Catania Pass holders, groups of more than 20 people (per person), visitors over 65, and members of FAI, Touring Club Italiano, Italia Nostra, ICOM (International Council of Museums) and the Società Dante Alighieri.

On the Monastero Oscuru (Dark Monastery) tour you will explore the Benedictine Monastery without the gift of sight: blindfolded, you will set out to discover both the place and yourself, relying on senses you will have to sharpen to complete the visit. This sensory journey also shows how blind people experience culture.
Tickets cost about €10; €6 for MonasteroCard holders and students.

On The Secret Floor of the Benedictines (Il piano segreto dei Benedettini) tour you will explore every nook, gallery and tunnel of the Monastery; room after room you will find traces of the terrible earthquake of 1693 and, above all, discover the rules of monastic life.
A journey back in time to 1558, when this place was built.
Tickets cost €10; €6 for MonasteroCard holders and students.
This tour is not recommended for children under 6, visitors with reduced mobility, people with heart conditions or asthma, or those who suffer from claustrophobia; under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.

For information and bookings call +39 095 7102767 / +39 334 9242464
or write to info@officineculturali.net.
Website: www.monasterodeibenedettini.it
Address: Monastero dei Benedettini di San Nicolò l'Arena, Piazza Dante 32, Catania.

Urban trekking and role-playing with Etna 'ngeniousa

The Etna 'ngeniousa association specialises in urban trekking routes, customisable on request, that reveal the city's thousands of years of history.

There is, in fact, a Catania that lies hidden beneath the modern city, buried by lava flows and earthquakes, or tucked away over the centuries behind the walls of courtyards and alleys. You can discover this hidden Catania, from Roman rigour to Baroque splendour, on the guided tour Catania Sottosopra (Catania Upside Down).
The stops on this itinerary are the Church of the Badia di Sant'Agata with the view from its dome, the Achillean Baths, the terrace of the Diocesan Museum, the Pozzo di Gammazita, the Roman Amphitheatre, Villa Cerami, and the Church of San Nicolò l'Arena with its rooftop walkway.
Tickets cost about €50 per person, depending on the number of participants; the tour runs for groups of at least 2 people.

The guided tour Memorie Romane (Roman Memories) will take you to discover Catania's Roman monuments: the ancient city, with its baths, aqueducts and theatres, "continues to live beneath and within the contemporary city".
This itinerary includes the following stops: Terme dell'Indirizzo, the Achillean Baths, Terme della Rotonda and Arco dei Minoritelli, the Greek-Roman Theatre and the Roman Amphitheatre.
You can also add visits to the Tomb of Stesichorus at the Carmine, the Roman Forum, the Roman Hypogeum, the "House of Sant'Agata" and the Crypt of Sant'Euplio.
Tickets cost about €50 per person, depending on the number of participants; the tour runs for groups of at least 2 people.

And if you love mysteries and want to combine exploring the city with role-playing games, book one of the Mystery Tours, such as Ombre nella notte (Shadows in the Night), Colpevole o innocente? (Guilty or Innocent?) and Feminino Sacro Catanese. Through plots inspired by crime fiction, mystery and intrigue, you will experience first-hand the dramatised stories of historical figures and events.
Mystery Tours are for groups and must be booked; requests must be sent to the association at least one week in advance.

For information and bookings call 338 1441760 / 333 9119648
or write to asso.etnangeniousa@gmail.com
Website: www.etnangeniousa.it

History and legends with Il Grand Tour del XXI secolo

Il Grand Tour del XXI secolo offers an evening tour for groups of 5 people: the Tour of Mysteries (Tour dei Misteri). The guide also runs dedicated tours on request.

On the Tour of Mysteries, suitable for children too, you will stroll through the city streets with qualified guides and discover Catania's best-known legends, its most secret anecdotes and the esoteric symbols carved into monuments and palaces.
Topics include the statues on the abaci of the portal of the Church of the Santo Carcere, the Norma, the women who shaped Catania's history such as Gammazita and the Baroness of Giuliano, the syncretism linking Sant'Agata to Isis, and the mysteries hidden within the walls of Castello Ursino, the balcony of shame and the secret door.
The stops on this route include Piazza Stesicoro, the former San Marco hospital, the Church of Sant'Agata al Carcere, Piazza Università, the Forum Lunaris and the Forum Achilleis, Piazza Duomo and Piazza Castello Ursino.
The tour takes place in the evening: the meeting point is in Piazza Stesicoro, right at the entrance to the Roman Amphitheatre; a break is included and the tour ends at around 10:15 pm.
It costs about €15; children under 10 go free.

For information call 320 711 5715 or write to rapisardac@libero.it
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pg/grandtourXXIsecolo