The original cathedral was built in 1078. It has been damaged several times due to earthquakes and eruptions of Mount Etna. The enormous lava flow in 1669 and the tremendous earthquake in 1693 layed two-thirds of Catania in rubble.

The Baroque cathedral you see today dates back to 1711. It houses the chapel of Sant'Agata, the city's patron saint, which holds the relics of the saint. Different relics shrines made of gold, silver and precious stones keep Agata's mortal remains, her  body is enclosed in a silver bust covered with a thick layer of jewels, offered by the devoted. 

The cathedral is also the last resting place of some members of the Royal Aragonese family and the opera composer Vincenzo Bellini, Catania's most famous son. 

Across from the cathedral are underground ruins of Greco-Roman baths.