Catania between Baroque, Antiquity and Mount Etna

Catania combines Baroque cityscapes, ancient buildings and the landscape of Mount Etna with a distinctive food culture. The city is one of eight urban components of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto”. The World Heritage Site includes specific areas of Catania, not the entire historic centre. Piazza del Duomo and the Cathedral of Sant’Agata are considered the Baroque heart of Catania at the foot of Mount Etna – a suitable starting point if you would like to combine the city’s history with everyday Sicilian life.

Ancient buildings and Baroque spaces

Catania’s ancient theatre was built in the 1st century AD over an existing Greek structure. Performances are held there again during the summer months, so the site is once again used as a stage. The excavated area of the Roman amphitheatre is open to the public; 3D reconstructions show what the building may originally have looked like. This means that different forms of historical experience exist side by side in Catania: visible ruins, architectural layers and later use as an event venue. Palazzo Biscari is regarded as a symbol of Catania’s Baroque architecture. The Rococo hall is particularly impressive, with its elaborate decoration of mirrors, stucco and frescoes. The palazzo can be visited by prior booking. A descendant of the princely family recounts its past and the family stories. The historic San Benedetto monastery on Via Crociferi is described as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Catania and can be visited as part of a guided tour. Guided tours of the Benedictine monastery are offered in Italian and English. The San Nicolò l’Arena monastery also shows how multifaceted Catania’s cultural heritage is. It is an example of late Baroque Sicilian architecture and is one of the largest Benedictine complexes in Europe. The complex includes a Roman domus, cloisters and a hanging garden. A daily scheduled tour is open to everyone. This allows you to distinguish between individual buildings and larger historic complexes when choosing your cultural destinations.

Markets, festivals and characteristic flavours

Catania’s fish market is located in a tunnel in the former city wall built under Charles V. Catania’s fish market is considered a place where visitors can immerse themselves in Sicilian street food culture. This combination of market activity, urban history and regional cuisine makes the site an experience in its own right within the city. At Catania’s traditional kiosks, “acqua e zammù”, water with a few drops of anise extract, was offered to passers-by. The kiosks’ drinks are prepared, among other things, with mineral water from the slopes of Mount Etna, syrups and soda; syrups made from Sicilian citrus fruits are also often used for this purpose. In the pastry shops, you will also find the sweets “Cassateddi di Sant’Aita”, also called “Minni di Sant’Aita”, associated with the tradition of Saint Agatha, as well as “Olivette”. The celebrations in honour of Saint Agatha reach their peak on 3, 4 and 5 February. The procession passes the places of her martyrdom and follows the oldest streets of the city. Believers carry richly decorated monumental candleholders known as “Candelore”. If you visit Catania at this time, the focus is therefore not only on a single building, but also on a living religious tradition.

Consider the city and the Mount Etna region together

Over the centuries, lava flows from Mount Etna have repeatedly covered traces of Catania’s past; artefacts therefore lie hidden beneath the city. In the wider region around Catania, the routes in Etna Park mostly run over more recent and historic lava flows, through wooded and treeless areas and across land that has been used for agriculture for many years. For your travel planning, this results in a clear transition between dense urban heritage and a landscape whose geological history remains visible even in the layout of the paths. An AMTS Catania bus connects Catania-Fontanarossa Airport railway station with the airport terminal. When choosing your hotel or accommodation, you can therefore first consider whether you mainly want to focus on Catania’s Baroque and ancient sites, its celebrations and markets, or additionally the wider Mount Etna region. If you would like to extend your research beyond Catania, you can also visit the following places: [Aci Trezza](Aci Trezza), [Acireale](Acireale), [Catania](Catania), [Giarre](Giarre), [Linguaglossa](Linguaglossa), [Nicolosi](Nicolosi), [Nunziata](Nunziata), [Piedimonte Etneo](Piedimonte Etneo), [Randazzo](Randazzo), [Riposto](Riposto), [San Giovanni Montebello](San Giovanni Montebello), [San Pietro Clarenza](San Pietro Clarenza), [Sant'alfio](Sant'alfio), [Zafferana Etnea](Zafferana Etnea), [Viagrande](Viagrande), [Fiumefreddo Di Sicilia](Fiumefreddo Di Sicilia), [Ragalna](Ragalna), [Mascali](Mascali), [Milo](Milo), [Trecastagni](Trecastagni), [San Giovanni La Punta](San Giovanni La Punta), [Pedara](Pedara), [Misterbianco](Misterbianco), [Castiglione Di Sicilia](Castiglione Di Sicilia), [Canalicchio](Canalicchio), [Caltagirone](Caltagirone), [Calatabiano](Calatabiano), [Aci Castello](Aci Castello), [Santa Tecla](Santa Tecla), [San Michele Di Ganzaria](San Michele Di Ganzaria), [Monterosso](Monterosso), [Santa Venerina](Santa Venerina), [Paternò](Paternò), [San Cono](San Cono), [Carruba](Carruba), [Aci Catena](Aci Catena), [Fondachello](Fondachello), [Mascalucia](Mascalucia), [Aci Sant'antonio](Aci Sant'antonio), [Santa Maria Di Licodia](Santa Maria Di Licodia), [San Gregorio Di Catania](San Gregorio Di Catania), [Aci Bonaccorsi](Aci Bonaccorsi), [Bronte](Bronte), [Biancavilla](Biancavilla), [San Leonardello](San Leonardello), [Pozzillo](Pozzillo), [Torre Archirafi](Torre Archirafi), [Motta Sant'anastasia](Motta Sant'anastasia), [Ramacca](Ramacca), [Valverde](Valverde), [Belpasso](Belpasso), [Vizzini](Vizzini), [Tremestieri Etneo](Tremestieri Etneo), [Vaccarizzo-Delfino](Vaccarizzo-Delfino), [Mineo](Mineo), [Grammichele](Grammichele), [Maletto](Maletto), [Gravina di Catania](Gravina di Catania), [Puntalazzo](Puntalazzo), [Sant'agata Li Battiati](Sant'agata Li Battiati), [Passopisciaro](Passopisciaro), [Adrano](Adrano), [Montelaguardia](Montelaguardia), [Scordia](Scordia), [Linera](Linera), [Calcerana-Marina](Calcerana-Marina), [Militello In Val Di Catania](Militello In Val Di Catania), [Castel Di Judica](Castel Di Judica), [Petrosino](Petrosino), [Mirabella Imbaccari](Mirabella Imbaccari), [Santo Pietro](Santo Pietro), [Licodia Eubea](Licodia Eubea), [Presa](Presa), [Montargano](Montargano), [Santa Venera-portosalvo](Santa Venera-portosalvo), [San Giorgio](San Giorgio), [Carlentini](Carlentini), [Pasteria-Lapide](Pasteria-Lapide).