At night the streets of Catania are crowded with people who walk and pour, without stopping inside the many temples of Taste and Bacchus: pubs, wineries, bars, pastry shops, trattorias, restaurants, pizzerias, fast food. And it is precisely these places, with their bright signs and modern designs, that make the baroque architecture even more suggestive and the pavement, where the hard, black basalt dominates.

Your romantic traveler’s eye will certainly have noticed that, in the comings and goings of citizens and tourists intent on enjoying the nightlife of Catania, the witnesses and guardians of the historical-cultural identity of the city stands out and tower in the night: monuments, ancient churches , noble palaces. The heights and dimensions of the historic buildings are increased, against the black background of the lava stone that connotes streets and architecture, by the game of reflections and shadows of the neon lights and city lighting. Do you think it would be an unforgetable experience to be able to visit Catania by night and being able to listen, in the moonlight and stars, to the anecdotes and legends set in sites of historical interest? We offer you some guided itineraries, easily reachable from the B&B Palazzo Speciale, which take place at sunset to discover Catania and its monuments in a different light. Literally.

Museum education and Mystery with Officine Culturali
The tours offered by Officine culturali, proposed on the occasion of certain evening events and also bookable by individual visitors, will lead you to discover a place as magnificent as  mysterious, the former Benedictine Monastery of Catania. The evening tours of  Officine Culturali listed in this guide take place on the occasion of dedicated events and upon reservation; for more information call 095 7102767 or 334 9242464.

 In the evening route Lights and Shadows of the Monastery you will be guided through silent corridors to discover the remains of the Roman domus, the basements, the cloisters and the kitchen once owned by the powerful monks of Catania narrated, with little edifying features, by the writer Federico De Roberto in the 'work I Vicerè. In the guided tour you will discover that the events related to the Benedictine Monastery are the synthesis of the entire history of the city. The ticket costs about 8 euros; you pay, however, 5 euros for visits every Sunday of the month, for Catania Pass holders, groups with more than 20 people (per person), over 65, FAI members, Italian Touring Club members, Italia Nostra members; ICOM (International Council of Museums) members, Dante Alighieri Society members.

On the Monastero Oscuru route, on the other hand, you will explore the Benedictine Monastery deprived of the gift of sight; after being blindfolded, you will begin the journey to discover both the place and yourself called to make use of the sensory stimuli that you will have to refine to complete the visit. A sensory journey that also teaches how the blind can enjoy Culture. The ticket costs about 10 euros; 6 for MonasteroCard holders and students.

 Along the route The secret floor of the Benedictines you will discover every ravine, gallery and passageway of the Monastery; room after room you will find traces of the terrible earthquake of 1693, but above all, you will discover the rules of monastic life. A journey back in time that will take you back to 1558, at the time of the constructionof this place. The ticket costs 10 euros ; 6 for MonasteroCard holders and students. This tour is not recommended for children under 6, visitors with mobility difficulties, cardiopaths, asthmatics, and those suffering from claustrophobia; minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. For information and reservations call +39 095 7102767 / +39 334 9242464or write to info@officineculturali.net
Website: http://www.monasterodeibenedettini.it
Address: Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena, Piazza Dante, 32 - Catania.

Urbantrekking and role playing with Etna 'ngeniousa
The Etna' ngeniousa association specializes in urban trekking routes, which can be customized and modulated on request, to discover the millenary history of the city.
 There is in fact a Catania that, buried by lava flows and earthquakes, unfolds in the underground city well hidden from view or that urbanization over the centuries has imprisoned and kept hidden between the walls of courtyards and alleys. You can discover hidden Catania, from Roman rigor to Baroque splendor, through the guided tour Catania upside down. The stops included in this itinerary are the Church of the Badia di Sant'Agata and seen from the dome, the Achillian Baths, the Terrace of the Diocesan Museum, the Pozzo di Gammazita, the Roman Amphitheater, Villa Cerami, Chiesa San Nicolò l'Arena and eaves walkway. The ticket costs about 50 euros per person, depends on the number of participants, and is carried out for groups of at least 2 people.

 The guided tour of Roman Memories will take you to discover the Roman monuments in Catania; the ancient city, in fact, with baths, aqueducts and theaters “continues to live under and within the contemporary city”. This itinerary includes the following stops: Terme dell Indirizzo, Terme Achilliane, Terme della Rotonda and Arco dei Minoritelli, Greek Roman Theater, Roman Amphitheater. To these you can add a visit to the sites: Tomb of Stesicoro al Carmine, Roman Forum, Roman Hypogeum, "Casa di Sant'Agata", Crypt of Sant'Euplio. The ticket costs about 50 euros per person, depends on the number of participants, and is carried out for groups of at least 2 people.

 Furthermore, if you love mysteries, and you want to accompany the exploration of the City to role-playing games, you just have to book the Mystery tours such as Shadows in the night, Guilty or innocent ?, Feminino Sacro Catanese. Through plots inspired by thriller, mystery and intrigue, you will experience the dramatized story of characters and historical events. Mystery tours take place for groups with reservations ; the request must be made to the association with at least one week's notice.
For information and reservations call 338.1441760 / 333.9119648 or write to asso.etnangeniousa@gmail.com
Website: http://www.etnangeniousa.it

 History and legends with The Grand tour of the 21st century
The Grand tour of the 21st century offers an evening tour for groups of 5 people:
 "Tour of the Mysteries" The guide also carries out dedicated tours on request.

In the Tour of the Mysteries, also suitable for children, in the company of qualified guides, walking through the city streets you will discover the most famous Catania legends, the most secret anecdotes and esoteric symbols engraved on monuments and palaces. Among these we will discuss the statues placed on the abacus of the portal of the Church of the Holy Prison, of the Norma, of the women who were part of the history of Catania such as Gammazita and the Baroness of Giuliano, of the syncretism that binds Sant'Agata to Isis and of the mysteries hidden in the walls of the Ursino Castle, the balcony of shame and the secret door.

The stages of this route include: Stesicoro square, the former hospital of San Marco, the Church of Sant'Agata al Carcere, Piazza Università, the Lunaris forum and the Achilleis forum, Piazza Duomo, Piazza Castello Ursino. The tour takes place in the evening; the meeting is scheduled in Piazza Stesicoro, right at the entrance to the Roman Amphitheater, break included, and the tour will close at around 10.15 pm. The cost is about 15 euros; children under 10 do not pay.

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