Catania Attractions

Catania is the second largest city of Sicily.

Famous for its night-life, you can have a good time visiting Catania pubs and discos, or tasting sicilian food in the many restaurant of city centre.

Via Etnea
One of the more famous attraction is the main street “Via Etnea”, where you can admire its baroque style and the many stores along its 3 Km of lenght.

This street is called “Via Etnea” because seems to rise until the summit of the city where is possible to take the way that bring to Etna.

A classic Catania inhabitants do is a walk along this street for shopping, or for tasting sicilian food in the many bars adn restaurants.

On the right and left flank there are many pubs and disco-pubs where spend your night-life.

But a magic scenario you can enjoy is the visit of Teatro Massimo Bellini, open to the visit during the day and where many important shows take place.

Historic Attractions
1-Baroque Buildings
Catania was destroyed nine times by natural disaster such as eartquakes and lava eruptions. Every time this city was rebuilded with great fatigue by its inahbitants. After the 1693 eartquake the city was rebuilded with a new style construction: the Baroque, expression that Catania wanted to reborn in a modern look.

2-The Dome
This is one of the most beautiful italian domes. The church take the name of Sant’Agata, patron saint of the city. It is a normann style building destroyed by eartquake of 1693 and rebuilted. Inside you can admire the Sant’Agata relics, the human rests of this girl martyred. In the square there is the Elephant statue, symbol of the City called “Liotru”.
Another interesting monument is the Porta Uzeda (Uzeda Gate).

3-Roman Theatre.
This historic attraction is situated along via Etnea, in Stesicoro square, and represents the nether old roman city. In fact if you come down you will realize that many nether streets are joined to the amphitheatre. The nether city extend until Benedictine Monastry, about 2 Km away.

4-Benedictine Monastry, where nowaday there is the University of Literature and Philosofy.
The ancient monk cells are today the lecture hall of students.
You can also visit the monks kitchen and the Ursino-Recupero library, containing very old books in Latin and Greek languagge.

5-San Nicolò church.
Inside it you can admire a fantastic show because its ancient age, the Meridian and the Graves of soldier dead during World War II.

6-Palazzo Biscari, a marvelously beautiful ancient building in the heart of the city.

7-In the neighbourhoods there are Houses Museum of the Musician Vincenzo
Bellini and the Writer Giovanni Verga.

8-It possible to visit the Teatro Bellini and attending to some shows.

9- Ursino castle built for king Federico II.

10-Porta Garibaldina (Garibaldi Gate)

11-Greek Theatre

Folklore
Visit the folkloristic Fish-market, Catania’s morning market of gorgeous vegetables, fish, fruits, flowers and meats.

If you come in Catania on 5th February, you can participate at Sant’Agata festivity, the folkloristic feast more known all over the world

Today
Catania is becoming a multiracial city, becasue the presence of many Asians, Africans and other culture people.

But this the University city: more than ten thousand of university students come from the other part of the island