Underground Sicily: a journey through hidden cities

Day 1 – Underground Catania: between lava and water

Beneath its historic center, Catania hides an entire city buried by lava flows.

In the underground passages, you can walk among the remains of Roman baths, the bed of the Amenano River, and structures incorporated into the modern city.

The urban stratification tells the story of the numerous reconstructions that took place after the eruptions of Mount Etna.

A unique example of a city built above its own history, to be explored through places such as the Church of San Gaetano alle Grotte, Indirizzo Thermal Baths, Achilliane Thermal Baths and the other underground sites scattered throughout the historic centre.

Among them is the Criptoportico of Villa Bellini, an 18th-century underground complex created in correspondence with the garden’s ancient Labyrinth. Its galleries, with barrel vaults, niches and skylights, have recently been restored and reopened to the city.

Also not to be missed is the Portico dell’Atleta, a Roman-era underground site beneath Via Crociferi, opened to the public in 2026. The route includes rooms decorated with niches and exedras, a mosaic walkway and the Statue of the Athlete, the marble torso that gives the site its name.

Day 2 – Syracuse and the Latomie: stone quarries and myth

In the Neapolis Archaeological Park in Syracuse, the Latomie—ancient stone quarries—create landscapes carved into the rock.

The most famous is the Latomia del Paradiso, home to the Ear of Dionysius, renowned for its perfect acoustics and the legends surrounding it.

These places tell the story of the Greek and Roman city, but also the link between nature and memory, in a setting that combines archaeology and scenic charm.

Day 3 – Modica rupestre: the city carved into the rock

Modica, in addition to its famous Baroque architecture, has a rocky soul: entire neighborhoods built on stone, cave dwellings still visible, underground churches, and ancient paths set in the landscape.

An example of urban planning that has adapted to the morphology of the territory, creating a fusion between city and rock.

Visit the Cartellone neighborhood and the Hermitage of San Nicolò Inferiore, as well as the panoramic views of the houses that seem to rise from the rock itself.

Day 4 – Cava d’Ispica: cave settlements surrounded by nature

Cava d’Ispica is a long valley carved into the rock, home to dozens of caves, necropolises, and prehistoric and medieval dwellings.

An extraordinary archaeological and naturalistic site, little frequented and surrounded by greenery.

Along the paths you will encounter troglodytic villages, oven tombs, rock churches, and places of worship carved into the stone.

A veritable open-air museum, ideal for those seeking silence, history, and nature.