Daytrip to Catania, Sicily, Italy – An Offer That You Can't Refuse

The traditional heart of the city, the Piazza del Duomo at the intersection of Via Vittorio Emanuele II and Via Etnea, is the best place to begin your tour. Upon entering the piazza, the first thing you notice is the Fountain of the Elephant in front of the cathedral (duomo). The black lava rock elephant sits on top of a stone platform and trumpets in the direction of the duomo. This stalwart pachyderm has supported an ancient Egyptian obelisk on its back since 1735. The statue was adopted as the symbol of Catania because legend has it that pigmy elephants once lived in the area and protected the locals by warding off wild animal.

Your gaze invariably moves to the baroque architecture surrounding you. The baroque façade of the duomo, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, disguises a Norman apse and transept dating to 1092. The original structure was constructed on the site of the Roman baths known as the Terme Achilliane. A staircase to the right of the main entrance leads down to these ancient ruins. At this time of my visit, the baths were closed to the public however. Inside the duomo on the south side, the chapel of St. Agatha is dedicated to Catania’s patron saint. Visitors find scenes from Agatha’s life inside the choir stalls.

Exit the duomo and leave the piazza by way of the imposing Porta Uzeda on the south side. Follow your nose to the fish market (La Peschiera), approximately one block away. Here fish mongers hawk the catch-of-the-day as they have done for centuries. Colorful fish ranging in size from sardines to swordfish are neatly displaced upon trays loaded with crushed ice. Watch your step as the street may be slippery with discarded fish entrails.

Pass through the fish market to the Civic Museum (Museo Civico) inside the Castello Ursino at the Piazza Federico di Svevia, at the end of Via Auteri between Via Plebiscito and Via Garibaldi. The imposing 13th century castle was originally built near the seashore by Emperor Frederick II of Swabia. Upon arriving visitors soon realize that the shoreline is now much further away than it once was. In 1669 a lava flow from the erupting Mt. Etna altered this beachfront property forever. Entering the austere grey lava rock fortress, you find Catania’s historic past on display. Begin your visit with an outline of the castle’s history, design and development. Other exhibits trace the history of Catania’s Greek, Roman, Arab and Norman colonization over the ages. Black and orange Greek pottery, Roman mosaics, sarcophagi and a marble funerary altar are displayed on the main floor. The Parliamentary Chamber (Sala dei Parlamenti), on the upper floor, housed the Sicilian Parliament until 1693 when it was transferred to Palermo. A gallery of religious paintings now replaces the politicians.

Leave the castle for a short walk through a maze of narrow streets toward the Roman Theatre. This 2nd century CE structure, located at 266 Via Vittorio Emanuele II, is hidden from public view by a wall. Still in used for live performances, this theater accommodates as many as 6,000 people on carved lava rock seats. At the entrance I was greeted by a sinister-looking actress in costume and makeup. Public access was restricted because the cast was rehearsing for the evening performance but I was allowed to look around for a few minutes. Also on site is a smaller auditorium known as the Odeon. This 3rd century CE structure, seating 1300 people, is used for more intimate musical performances.

Re-enter the maze of streets and walk to the Benedictine Monastery of San Nicola L’Arena on Via Trinita at Piazza Dante. Upon arrival the first thing you notice is the crumbling wall fronting the street. I was later informed that there was little money available for repairs. Dating to the 1700s, this monastery was the second largest in Europe after Mafra in Portugal. Maintaining the monastic tradition of higher learning, this site is the literature department of the University of Catania.

To the right of the monastery, the Chiesa di San Nicolo has been emptied for renovation. Visitors can wander around the black and white marble interior of the largest church on the island in the company of a flock of birds above you. This is one time when you should not look toward heaven, just in case.

A ten minute walk from the church, the 2nd century CE lava and marble Roman amphitheater (Anfiteatro Romano) is below street level within the Piazza Stesicoro at Corso Sicilia and Via Manzoniand fenced off from the public. At most only about one-half of the original structure is visible. In its heyday, this arena seated 15,000 spectators and was second in size only to the Colosseum in Rome. Now the only gladiators on site are ferile cats which sometimes fight for scraps of food.

Speaking of food, you have likely worked up quite an appetite by now. You may wish to end your tour with some traditional Sicilian pizza baked in a wood-burning oven. “Eat Pizzeria Catania” at Via Coppola 42/44 features the “Norma” pizza which is named for hometown boy Vincenzo Bellini’s opera by the same name.

After a delicious meal, opera buffs can top off the evening with a visit the nearby Teatro Massimo Bellini in the Piazza Bellini, at the end of Via Teatro Massimo. The Neo-Renaissance façade is particularly elegant in the evening when illuminated. At the same time, this illumination is also metaphorical; you realize that Catania and Mt. Etna are indissolubly united. They share the same destiny, evolution and eruption.