What to See in Catania, the City at the Foot of Etna

Sono tanti i places to visit in Sicily, a land rich in art and culture, but without a doubt Catania and surroundings represent one of the most interesting areas in the entire region.

It is a true gem, located between Etna and the sea; more and more tourists visit this fascinating city each year to discover its secrets and peculiarities. In this guide we will explore together what to see in Catania, to help you better organize your trip to Sicilian land.

Visiting Catania: places of interest

Without a doubt, in Sicily the places of interest are really numerous, but among the many beautiful cities, Catania stands out thanks to its landscape conformation and its hidden beauties in every corner. There are many things to see in Catania, but we have tried to gather the most important ones, those you simply cannot miss. Finally, you can always consider the 3-day itinerary in Catania.

1 Catania Historic Center

Il centro storico di Catania è il primo luogo che vi consigliamo di visitare. È il cuore della città ed è proprio in questo quartiere che si svolgono le principali attività, tra le quali il famoso mercato del lunedì. È sede di molti monumenti importanti ed è il luogo di incontro dei cittadini catanesi e non solo.

2 Duomo Square in Catania

Duomo Square is the main square of Catania and has much to offer in terms of attractions. Located in the heart of the city, near the port area, it is recognizable thanks to the imposing Elephant Fountain, the Amenano Fountain, the Catania Cathedral, and the Palace of the Elephants. The symbol of Catania is, not by chance, the elephant itself, which is said to be a symbol of the city’s protection. In Duomo Square, you can also find a series of cafés and restaurants with outdoor seating, ideal for having a drink, grabbing a bite, and enjoying the beautiful Sicilian climate. To include in the list “What to visit in Catania.”

3 Basilica of Saint Agatha in Catania

The Basilica of Saint Agatha is the cathedral and is a unique structure, a masterpiece of Norman and Baroque architecture. Located in the city’s old center, the cathedral is situated in Piazza Del Duomo. Inside, the tomb of the well-known composer Vincenzo Bellini is preserved.

4 Castello Ursino

Il Castello Ursino is one of the most important monuments of the city and dates back to the 13th century, commissioned by Frederick II of Swabia, who built more than a hundred castles throughout southern Italy. Today its condition is still very good. Erected on a basalt rock overlooking the sea, the Norman Castle once held an important strategic position. The rock initially stood isolated, it was the eruption of 1169 that filled the sea arm separating it from the mainland.
The castle, witness over the centuries to long struggles between the Aragonese of Sicily and the Angevins of Naples, was besieged and stormed several times, passing between the ownership of Viceroys and private individuals. During the 16th century, it became the seat of a garrison that guarded the sea, and later also a terrible prison. Today it houses the Civic Museum which offers a fascinating journey into the past. We recommend you stroll around the castle to take some photographs and also visit its interior, home to the city’s Civic Museum.

5 Civic Museum

The Civic Museum of Catania, housed in the heart of the historic city within the Ursino Castle, an important destination for the study of archaeologists, historians, and restorers, is the most important museum in Catania due to the vastness and variety of the collection. From the Byzantine-style tablets of the 15th century to the oil paintings on canvas of the 19th century, the museum boasts a very rich art gallery, to which numerous archaeological finds from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, Greek vases, Greek and Roman coins, portals from the 13th and 15th centuries, engravings, prints, sacred vestments, and ornamental artistic objects from different eras are added. Currently, the courtyard, the ground floor, the first floor, and only a part of the collection, which still includes highly valuable artifacts, are accessible. The Museum houses a mineralogical section, a paleontological one, and an archaeological one; the exhibition is completed by a small botanical garden, where a collection of plants of considerable value is displayed outdoors.

6 Church of San Francesco Borgia

The Church of San Francesco Borgia is located on via dei Crociferi, the most scenic street of Catania baroque. Equipped with a double-flight staircase, it has a very linear façade in Roman academic style. It is arranged on two orders of paired marble columns. The interior consists of three very wide and bright naves. The side altars are made of marble and feature panels by 18th-century Catanese painters. The dome is frescoed with themes recalling the Jesuit order, by the painter Olivio Sozzi.

7 Museums in Catania

Catania is a city teeming with art. We recommend visiting several museums in Catania.

• Emilio Greco Museum

  Opened in 1994 in the presence of the sculptor Emilio Greco, the Museum houses much of his graphic work donated by him to his hometown.

• Zoology Museum and Butterfly House

  The collections preserved in the Zoology Museum and Butterfly House mainly concern the fauna of the Mediterranean: the largest collection is the entomological “Ragusa” collection, which includes about 25,000 specimens of lepidoptera. Also extraordinary is the exhibition of faunal specimens, including an interesting ornithological collection of over 160 birds, acquired in 1991 through a donation from the Hunters’ Club of the Province of Catania, and another dating back to 1923, donated by the noblewoman Anna Paternò Castello, which comprises about a thousand specimens, mainly exotic, including a hundred hummingbirds of considerable interest, as well as numerous parrots and birds of paradise. In 1989, the scientific heritage was further enriched thanks to the acquisition of the important ornithological collections Baglieri and Baglieri Benanti, including over 500 specimens from Sicily. In the same building, the “Butterfly House” can be visited, a small climate-controlled greenhouse housing lepidoptera and tropical insects observable in their various life stages.

• Giovanni Verga House Museum

The birthplace of Giovanni Verga is an apartment on the second floor of a nineteenth-century building. It is the residence where Verga spent his childhood and lived for long periods surrounded by family and close friends. After the death of Giovannino Verga Patriarca, heir of the writer, the house was purchased by the Sicilian Region and opened to the public after restoration. Inside, the furnishings and books that belonged to Giovanni Verga are preserved.

• “Valenziano Santangelo” Lava Stone Sculpture Museum

The Lava Stone Sculpture Museum of Catania was created by the sculptor Nino Valenziano Santangelo who has been working lava stone since 1978. It exhibits 306 sculptures depicting myths from the Greco-Roman world, cinema, literature, and characters from Sicilian tradition; the works are intuitively carved from lava blocks with slight interventions. A series of other artifacts highlights the multifaceted nature of lava: volcanic bombs, ash, rope lava, slab lava, lapilli.

• Bellini Civic Museum

The Bellini Civic Museum is located in the birthplace of the musician and collects documents, memories, and objects belonging to him. Scenery models, autograph scores, paintings, miniatures, and, gathered in room D, various autograph musical manuscripts created during his studies in Naples are also exhibited.

• Department of Botany and Botanical Garden of Catania

• Biscari Museum

8 Etna

Etna: when visiting Catania, you cannot miss the opportunity to climb Etna. Various tour operators offer daily trips on the volcano on foot, by bike, or by jeep. Once at the top of Etna, on a clear day, the view will be incredible and you will enjoy a fabulous unforgettable scenery. To include in the list “Catania: what to see”.

Catania in brief: how to get there and where to eat

9 How to get to Catania

There are many ferries to Catania that allow you to reach the Sicilian city by sea, but surely one of the fastest means is the plane. The Catania airport is the Fontanarossa – Catania Airport and is located less than 10 km from the city center. You can choose to use shuttle services or take a taxi to reach your hotel.

10 What to eat in Catania

Food is undoubtedly one of the main pride that the city has to offer. During your vacation, we therefore recommend trying the dishes belonging to the Catanese cuisine by choosing among the various restaurants in Catania. Don’t forget to try the arancini, the Sicilian cannoli, the pasta alla Norma, and the horse meat sandwiches. A curiosity: know that in Catania arancini are masculine (arancino) while in Palermo they are feminine (arancina).