San Gaetano alle grotte Church

The church of “San Gaetano alle grotte” is located in Piazza Carlo Alberto, near the church best known as “del Carmelo”, where it is organized the traditional “a’ fera o luni“.

The church stands on the ruins of a religious building dating back to 261 AD called the Church of “Santa Maria della Grotta”, and it was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. The last renovation was in 1800 at the behest of the Brotherhood of St. Cajetan.

The peculiarity of the church is the presence of underground tunnels, where some people thought to have once been used as catacombs. The legend says that it was buried there the body of St. Agatha.

It is one of the most characteristic and original churches of Catania, but unfortunately not one of the best known.