Vacation Packages to Catania

Travel to Catania: General Information

Thinking of traveling to Catania? The city of Catania, formerly called Katane, is located in Italy and dates back to the 8th century BC.

It was founded by Greek settlers, although in it you can appreciate the mixture of multiple civilizations, such as Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Italian, Aragonese, among many others.

Another important fact is that in the city of Catania Alfonso V of Aragon founded the first university in Sicily, in 1434.

Geography of Catania

Catania is located on the east coast of Sicily. It is the second most populated city of this island, as it has 313,396 inhabitants (2015). Meanwhile, its comarca has 770,000 citizens and the metropolitan city of Catania, 1,200,000.

The north of the city borders Mount Etna, which is the largest active volcano in Europe. For this reason, the city has been destroyed numerous times (at least seven) due to natural disasters. Catania also borders the Ionian Sea and its territory, contrary to Mount Etna, is completely flat.

Main Attractions in Catania

The city of Catania offers many attractions to visit. Here are the most important ones.

Piazza del Duomo in Catania

This is the main square of the city of Catania. It is the intersection of three streets: via Etnea, via Garibaldi and via Vittorio Emanuele II.

The Elephant Fountain in Catania

Also known as the Fontana dell'Elefante, it is a monumental fountain dating back to 1737 and was made by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini, an architect originally from the city of Palermo.

It is an axis monument in the Piazza del Duomo. As its name indicates, the fountain has an elephant in its construction, which is composed of lava rock and represents the defeat of the Carthaginian civilization that had tried to conquer Sicily with warriors on elephants. It also has elements that allude to the coexistence between Punics, Egyptians and Christians.

The Cathedral of Catania

It is a church of Catania dedicated to St. Agatha, which is located in the center of Catania, in Piazza del Duomo. It is an emblematic building of baroque architecture, which dates back to 1078 and was built during the rule of Roger I as an ecclesia Munita (fortified church). It is also known as the duomo of Catania.

The Roman Amphitheater in Catania

This amphitheater is arguably the most complex and largest construction in all of Sicily, as it has entrances, vaults, walls, 32 corridors and 14 steps. Today, it is part of the historical center of the city of Catania and of the Greco-Roman Archaeological Park of Catania.

Visit to the Markets of Catania

The city of Catania is famous for its food markets and local products. The best known are the pescheria market, also called Pescheria of Catania, and the fiera market. They are located in the city center of Catania and are attended by tourists and locals alike, either to sample the flavors of traditional dishes or to take photos worthy of a professional album.

The Bellini Garden

At the top of Via Etnea is the famous Villa Bellini, a municipal park where you can spend a quiet afternoon with family or friends.

View of Villa Bellini, Catania

Formerly this garden was a stately villa and today, although it is a public establishment, it is extremely well kept, has flowers of many different varieties and a huge fountain in its center. From here you can also enjoy a wonderful view of the sea and Mount Etna.

Ursino Castle

Also known as the Castello Ursino, it is a building dating back to the 13th century AD (around 1239). During the Sicilian Vespers this castle was the seat of the Sicilian Parliament and later the residence of King Frederick II. This castle has a rectangular shape, an uncovered central courtyard and huge towers at each corner.

Ursino Castle is located 7 minutes by car from the center of Catania (7 kilometers), on Via Plebiscito. Visiting hours are from 10 am to 5:50 pm.

Via Etna

This is the most important street in the entire historic center of the city of Catania. It has a diameter of 3 kilometers and passes by tourist attractions such as the Bellini garden, the Roman amphitheater, the Piazza del Duomo, etc.

Church of San Nicolo

This is the largest church on the island of Sicily, which dates back to 1687. Inside you can see an eighteenth-century organ and a sundial made by nineteenth-century astronomers.

Next to it is the Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena, which was founded by monks from Nicolosi in the 16th century.

These buildings were built as shelters against the criminals of the time and the volcanic catastrophes that occurred.