It exists thanks to the legendary volcano Etna, which rises on the island of Sicily. Catania is a city built of stone, which, in turn, was formed from frozen eruptions. On the one hand, it is washed by the gentle waters of the Ionian Sea, and to a formidable volcano - only 25 kilometers. It is the second largest city on the island, and more than 250,000 people live there. It was built in the eighth century BC, and since then it has suffered more than once from earthquakes, then from the eruptions of its formidable "neighbor", which is a symbol of the island of Sicily. Catania, however, each time rose from the ashes and literally rebuilt from it.
The city is especially known around the world for its gray houses. Although there is not a lot of greenery in the center, there are beautiful rich villas with parks in the vicinity, such as the house of Bellini, the famous Italian composer. Another iconic place in Catania is Via Crochiferi, on which nine worthy of visiting temples stand just a few tens of meters from each other. This is not surprising, because Sicily (including Catania) is famous for its piety just like gloomy stories related to the mafia. Interestingly, one of the staircase streets that rise here is the equally famous Alessi. There are about 120 bars and pubs, the most popular of which is called Nevsky.
Sicily (Catania in particular) is one of the TOP places for a beach holiday. And besides, here is the largest number of sunny days per year in Italy. Many tourists come here to sunbathe. Catania can offer vacationers several sandy beaches that can be visited for free, but for a sunbed you will need to pay a few euros. Tourists also visit the local historical sites. Catania (Sicily) has a huge number of them. However, usually excursions begin from the symbol of the city - the Fountain of the Elephant. The figure of the animal dates back to the ancient period. And the fountain itself was built by the Italian sculptor and architect Vaccarini.
Despite the eruptions and earthquakes that simply wiped the city from the face of the earth, many monuments of the ancient Roman era are still preserved here. This is a theater that could accommodate up to seven thousand people. He stood under the hill, where the ancient city was originally located - the Acropolis built by the Greeks. In addition, other spectator rooms of those times - the Odeon and the amphitheater - have also been preserved. The latter was even larger, and there could accommodate 16,000 people wishing to admire competitions and gladiatorial games. From the ancient ruins, tourists can explore the remains of nine baths, as well as the aqueduct, through which water flowed into the city.
Of course, the history of the island did not stop only in antiquity. Catania (Sicily), a map of which can acquaint with different thematic routes, has both early Christian and medieval temples of rare beauty, such as the Cathedral of St. Agatha, the patroness of the city. They say the legend, allegedly she managed to stop the next eruption of Etna. And now the magnificent Cathedral was built after the catastrophes - it dates from the 17th century and is an excellent example of Baroque architecture. Another amazing place where tourists seek is the castle of Ursino. It was built in the 13th century by a local lord, then became the residence of the Aragonese kings. Initially, the castle was on the island, but as a result of the eruption, a frozen boiling lava surrounded the rock in the sea and “tightly” connected it to the land. Now here is a museum, where you can get on foot, and not by boat.