Photos: Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Cayambe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Cayambe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
The castle that used to stand on the coast
Your local guide
Turiddu Bonaccorso
View profile
Highlights
- A castle once built right on the coast
- Lava flows that pushed back the shoreline
- Swabian and Aragonese fortress history
- A changed coastline, explained on site
- Centuries of geography rewritten by Etna
About this tour
This session looks at Castello Ursino, a thirteenth-century fortress that once stood directly on Catania's coastline before centuries of lava flows pushed the shore further away. You see the castle's towers and the ground where the sea would once have reached. The camera stays on the public streets and square around the castle throughout.
I start at the exterior towers, then walk to where the old waterline would have been, explaining how the coastline changed. I take questions along the way and send a short note on the castle's history afterwards.
It suits anyone interested in how a natural disaster can quietly reshape a city's geography. It also pairs well with a Roman Theatre session for a wider sense of Catania's layered past.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 6 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Catania before heading out.
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The castle exterior 17 min
The camera holds on the castle's thick corner towers, and I explain how it once stood directly on the shoreline before lava flows pushed the coast back over the centuries.
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The old waterline 17 min
Standing where the water would once have reached, I point out how far the coast now sits and what caused the change.
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The courtyard entrance 17 min
From the entrance, you see the scale of the fortress and I explain its role for the Swabian and later Aragonese rulers of Sicily.
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Your questions 11 min
Time to ask anything about Catania: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 5 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Pasta alla Norma and San Berillo, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Rome time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 9 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Catania, showing you The castle exterior and The old waterline live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Catania live with my phone.
Times shown in Rome time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Sat 14 Nov · 9 seats left From 27,00 €
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