Catacomb Exploration + Italian Language Course
If the hidden history beneath the streets of Syracuse has captured your imagination, this is the perfect moment to turn your curiosity into a language and archaeological adventure.
Your Italian Language Journey Starts Here
Meet Virginia / Your Student Advisor
From the course level to your arrival in Siracusa, she can help you understand dates, accommodation options and the cultural activities available during your Italian language stay.
Begin your full-immersion stay in Sicily.
At The Italian Academy in Sicily, our Italian language courses run every week of the year at all levels, and the Catacomb Tour is one of the most evocative activities in our rich weekly calendar.
Join a guided experience through the basilicas and crypts, practice Italian with classmates while exploring ancient frescoes, and connect what you learn in class with real-life history.
Ready to combine study and discovery in the silent corridors of the past? Start with our Catacomb tour and make the city’s foundations your classroom.
Start your language journey
From the Basilica to the Crypt, step by step.
Our guide meets you at the academy or the Basilica of San Giovanni. You will descend into the cool, silent galleries of the Catacombs of San Giovanni, walk through ancient rotundas, and hear stories of the early Christian communities that shaped Syracuse.
The tour is designed for all levels and includes pauses to admire the early Christian symbols and practice Italian vocabulary learned in class.
Your day begins at the ruins of the open-air Basilica, a place built from ancient stone. The route leads you underground into a labyrinth of tunnels that wind beneath the modern city.
Choose your course, enroll online, receive confirmation.
A simple flow to combine your Italian language course with cultural experiences like the Catacomb visit.
Choose your course
Choose your course level and dates. Our Italian language courses run weekly all year, from beginner to advanced.
Explore Italian coursesEnroll online
Enroll online and add activities. Select the Catacomb tour and any other cultural experiences you wish to join.
Apply nowReceive confirmation
We send your timetable for Italian language classes and your activity schedule, including the day and time of the catacomb excursion.
Request informationWhich program do you want to join?
Select the correct application pathway: Italian Language Courses, Foundation Year or Sustainability School.
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Foundation Year
For students preparing for access to Italian universities and academies.
Apply now
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Language Courses
For students who want to learn Italian in Italy and join cultural activities in Sicily.
Apply now
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Summer School
For students interested in field-based study abroad programs in Sicily.
Apply nowLearn the words first. Then live them underground.
Our Italian language classes take place in small groups so you can speak from day one. Lessons in the morning prepare you for what you will see in the catacombs, and your teachers help you rehearse practical phrases for the tour.
You will learn words for frescoes, tombs, symbols, and ancient history, then use them while exploring the underground with your group.
Morning language classBuild vocabulary and confidence with native-speaking teachers.
Cultural preparationUnderstand the historical context before the guided visit.
Real Italian practiceUse Italian outside the classroom during the activity.
An archaeological experience that lives in history.
Syracuse's history is structured as a living framework made of ancient stones, forgotten crypts, memory, and centuries of Mediterranean civilization.
Stay in Siracusa while you learn Italian.
Syracuse is a warm, welcoming and lively city with much to offer to adventurous souls and culture lovers: historic streets, a medieval castle, beaches, marine reserves and everyday Sicilian life.
Private apartment
Independent accommodation close to the school, ideal for students who want privacy and flexibility during their Italian language stay.
Home Stay
Students may choose to live with a Sicilian host-family in comfortable apartments close to the school with private bedrooms. Homestay accommodation includes 2 meals per day, breakfast and dinner.
Take the first step and contact our team. We are here to help!
Our team of student advisors is glad to support you every step of the way: from enrolment and arrival preparation to orientation, accommodation and student life in Siracusa.
Piazzale San Marziano, 1, Siracusa, Italy
Ortigia Study Center
Piazza Duomo, 20, Siracusa, Italy
info@theitalianacademy.com
Foundation Year
admissions@theitalianacademy.com
Sustainability School
admissions@syracuseacademy.org