Why We Fell for Catania, Sicily, Catania, Italy

We started our Sicilian adventure in Catania, Sicily’s second-largest city, after Palermo. It’s located on Sicily’s east coast facing the Ionian Sea and lies under the shadow of Mount Etna.

Following the devastating earthquake of 1693 that destroyed most of the city and killed more than 30,000 of its inhabitants, Catania was rebuilt in the decorative Baroque style that you see today. With wide streets, huge piazzas and endless ornate churches and palaces, much of it built from black volcanic rock from Mount Etna.

The town is a little scruffy with many crumbling palazzos, but that adds to its charm. It’s one of those cities that the more you explore and discover new neighbourhoods, the more you fall in love with the place. And oh, the delicious Sicilian food!

Catania’s historic centre (Centro Storico) is centred around the Piazza del Duomo, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s Catania’s central piazza and is surrounded by baroque style buildings, built with an eclectic mix of lava and limestone.

The Piazza del Duomo is also home to the quirky Fontana dell’ Elefante statue. It’s a black lava elephant balancing an Egyptian obelisk on its back. It’s said that the elephant has magical powers and can predict any eruptions from nearby Mount Etna. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).