Day 1 - Underground Catania
Catania conceals beneath its historic centre an entire city buried by successive lava flows.
Along underground routes, visitors walk among the remains of Roman baths, the course of the Amenano River and structures incorporated into the modern cityscape.
The city's urban stratification reveals the many reconstructions carried out after the eruptions of Mount Etna.
It is a unique example of a city living above its own past, to be explored through guided tours or visits to hidden sites such as the Church of San Gaetano alle Grotte and the Terme dell'Indirizzo Roman baths.
Day 2 – Syracuse and the quarries
Within the Neapolis Archaeological Park in Syracuse, the latomie – ancient stone quarries – form landscapes sculpted directly into the rock.
The most famous is the Latomia del Paradiso, home to the Ear of Dionysius, renowned for its remarkable acoustics and the legends surrounding it.
These sites recount the history of the Greek and Roman city, as well as the deep bond between nature and memory, in a setting that combines archaeology with dramatic natural scenery.
Day 3 – Rock-hewn Modica
Beyond its celebrated Baroque architecture, Modica preserves a rock-hewn soul: entire districts built into stone, cave houses still visible today, underground churches and ancient pathways embedded in the landscape.
It is an example of urban planning adapted to the territory's morphology, creating a seamless fusion between town and rock.
Not to be missed are the Cartellone district and the Hermitage of San Nicolò Inferiore, along with panoramic viewpoints over houses that seem to emerge directly from the stone itself.
Day 4 – Cava d'Ispica
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 natural site, relatively uncrowded and surrounded by greenery.
Along its paths, visitors encounter troglodyte villages, oven-shaped tombs, rock churches and places of worship carved into the stone.
A true open-air museum – ideal for those seeking silence, history and nature in equal measure.
