East Catania Walking Tour (Self Guided), Catania

Fontana dei Malavoglia is a sculpture fountain located in Piazza Giovanni Verga. It was sculpted by Carmelo Mendola, a self-taught sculptor of Catania (1895-1976). The monument - fountain is dedicated to Giovanni Verga. The creation of this sculptural fountain took 19 years and ended on October 25, 1975. Mende, the author of the monument, died of cerebral hemorrhage shortly afterwards in February, 1976. The fountain represents a dramatic scene from the novel written by Giovanni Verga. The sculptor managed to depict the suffering and tension of bodies in pain, yet in action.

Palazzo di Giustizia is the palace of justice. It was initiated in 1937 and inaugurated in 1953 by architect Francesco Fichera and is located in the central Piazza Verga. It represents the 20th century architecture of Catania. There is a large bronze statue of Justice at the facade of the palace, by Catanian sculptor Mimi Mary Lazarus.

Piazza Europa or Europe's Square is a large square facing the open sea in the East of Catania. It is a modern square, absolutely different from the downtown historical squares. The main attraction in this square is the marble statue "La Romantica" by sculptor Francesco Messina. It was built between 1973 and 1992. There are also drinking fountains and benches in the square where people can sit in the shadows of the trees.

The Church of Santa Maria della Guardia is located in the square in Catania with the same name. There are numerous works of art and a facade of great architectural and historical interest. The church was built in the second half of the 19th century, but was damaged by the Second World War and later restored.

San Giovanni Li Cuti Beach is the black volcanic rocky beach in the east of Catania. It is made from natural lava and is very beautiful. It is always filled with tourists and locals sunbathing or fishing. This part of Catania used to be a fishing village but because of the expansion of this wonderful city, it became part of Catania. The peculiarity of this beach is that the sand is of volcanic origin, hence its black colour.

Monument ''Ai Caduti del Mare'' was built after a long period of preparatory work that lasted for years. The monument faces the sea and commemorates the victims of the civilian and military navy and is dedicated to all those who lost their lives at sea. The whole monument represents a large bronze book. On its left side, there is a sinking ship and on its right, a sculpture of a praying sailor. The citizens of Catania longed for such a monument to be installed in their city for a long time.