Travel Guide Catania

Second city of Sicily, Catania does not have an easy place. It is overshadowed by the great Palermo, as well as Etna, because people come to Catania first for the volcano: "Catania is a city of the sea that looks at the mountain". But it would be a shame to miss Catania! This industrial and university city is not lacking in attractions. First, it is the sunniest city on the island. Secondly, it is a city with a university tradition, which was the seat of the Siciliae Studium, the oldest university in Sicily, founded in 1434; it still attracts many young people today. Its only drawback: it is located at the foot of Mount Etna. A lava flow in 1669 narrowly avoided the Ursino Castle but extended for 300 meters into the city at the level of the old commercial port. The earthquake of 1693 destroyed a large part of Noto but also damaged part of the city of Catania. It was at this time that the city also underwent a Baroque renaissance through numerous restructurings carried out mainly by the architect Vaccarini (who studied in Rome and Florence). He changed the architectural style of the city by constructing several historical buildings in the Baroque style. The city used a lot of lava stone in its building materials, which gives it this particular dark aspect. Third asset, and not the least, is its authenticity and the charm of some of its neighborhoods. The driving force of the region, Catania is a young and lively city that does not have to pale in comparison with its rival, Palermo. Better yet, it doesn't have the garbage worries, and the blackness you see in the old town comes from the volcanic slabs that most of the palaces are built on, not from pollution. And, for the more skeptical, there are beautiful beaches nearby.