Catania is built on lava. Beneath the Baroque streets, there are Roman ruins, river courses, and volcanic tunnels.
Plan this experience →Teatro Romano (Via Vittorio Emanuele II, €6): a 7,000-seat Roman theatre buried under medieval buildings. You descend from street level into the orchestra. Terme dell’Indirizzo (Piazza Currò, €3): Roman baths beneath a market. Amenano River: flows underground through Catania (visible at the Fontana dell’Amenano in Piazza Duomo, where it emerges briefly). Guided underground tour: Catania Underground (€15–25, 2h, includes Roman and volcanic sections). Lava tunnels: the Grotta del Gelo on Etna (organized hike, €30–50) has a permanent ice formation inside a lava tube at 2,000m.