Anfiteatro Romano

The Anfiteatro Romano lies on Piazza Stesicoro in Catania, on the northern edge of the historic centre in eastern Sicily. The amphitheatre was built in the 2nd century AD, at a time when Catania was a flourishing Roman city, and was used for gladiatorial combats and public spectacles. It was among the larger amphitheatres of Roman Sicily, with an elliptical plan and seating supported by radial vaults and corridors built in lava stone and brick. After the end of antiquity the monument fell out of use and was gradually quarried for building material, then buried by later construction. Later city blocks grew over much of the structure, so that only part of the monument is visible today, and the piazza is dominated by the curve of the exposed stonework below street level. The remaining parts have been reopened to visitors with underground corridors, which allow a walk through the vaulted passages that once led spectators and performers to the arena. The archaeological character is that of a monument seen partly from the piazza and partly from inside, where the lava-stone vaults show the engineering of the Roman builders. Interpretation is by panels and the architecture itself, with no large indoor collection. Excavation and consolidation have exposed what survives and made the corridors safe, though large portions remain hidden under adjoining buildings. Reported admission is about EUR 4 for adults, about EUR 3 reduced, with free entry for children under 10, and a EUR 2 reduced rate was also reported in March 2026. Summer hours reported for 2024 were 9AM-7PM with last entry at 6:30PM, though visitors should confirm current hours on site. The amphitheatre is an easy stop on the way between Via Etnea and the cathedral, and it belongs to Catania's integrated archaeological itinerary.