HISTORY OF CATANIA:
Catania was founded as a Greek colony in the 8th century BC, and it was one of the first cities in Sicily to submit to the Roman Republic in the 3rd century BC. Read More [...]
The city was conquered by the Vandals and Ostrogoths in the 5th century AD, and was regained by the Eastern Roman Empire in 535, under which it remained until the 9th century. In 1072, it fell to the Normans led by Roger I of Sicily.
In the 14th century, Catania gained an important role, as it was chosen by the Aragonese for the Royal seat. Here, in 1347, it was signed the peace treaty that ended the war between the Aragonese and the Angevines.
In the 16th century, the city became part of the Spanish Empire. In 1860, Sicily was conquered by Giuseppe Gabribaldi, and from 1861, Catania, along with the entire island, become part of the Kingdom of Italy.
GEOGRAPHY OF CATANIA:
Today, Catania is the second largest city in Sicily, after Palermo, with about 320,000 inhabitants. Its metropolitan area reaches one million inhabitants. The city is located on the east coast of Sicily, at the foot of Mount Etna, the biggest volcano in Europe. Read More [...]
Catania is situated 17 kilometers south of Acireale, 47 kilometers south of Taormina, 63 kilometers north of Syracuse, 93 kilometers north of Noto, 97 kilometers southwest of Messina, 104 kilometers northeast of Ragusa, 127 kilometers northeast of Modica, 210 kilometers southeast of Palermo, and about 335 kilometers southeast of Trapani.
TRANSPORT TO CATANIA:
The main airport of the Southern Italy is the Vincenzo Bellini International Airport, known also as the Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, located near Catania. From the airport, every 25 minutes, there are buses named ALIBUS that reach the city center. The trip takes about 20 minutes and a ticket costs 4€. Read More [...]
Frequent trains connect Catania with other major cities in Sicily. A train ticket from Catania Centrale to Syracuse is 7.60€ and the trip takes about an hour. To Palermo, a ticket costs 14.90€ and the trip takes about four hours. You can also take a bus to Palermo, for about the same price. To explore the area around Catania, you can also rent a car, but keep in mind that driving in Sicily is not easy at all.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN CATANIA:
The main landmarks in Catania are the beautiful Baroque Piazza del Duomo, the main square of the city, the Cathedral of Sant'Agata (Duomo di Catania), the grandiose Church of San Nicolò l’Arena, the Ursino Castle, Via Etnea, the main shopping street, on which some of the most important buildings of the city are found, and the Vincenzo Bellini Theater, a 19th century opera house.
EVENTS IN CATANIA:
The most important events in Catania are related to the patron saint of the city, Saint Agatha. Festa di Sant'Agata is a religious festival that takes place every year on two occasions - between February 3 and 5, the martyrdom of the Saint is commemorated, and on August 17, the city celebrates the return of her remains to Catania, after 86 years in which the relics were kept in Constantinople.