Catania Guide Italy

A special day

A special day

• Morning
  We begin our tour from Piazza Duomo, the center of the historical city center of Catania, where you can see the unique Elephant Fountain. The Cathedral, with the Chapel of Sant’Agata inside containing the saint’s treasures, and City Hall, Palazzo degli Elefanti, are also in this square. From Piazza Duomo you can walk to the nearby Via Crociferi, one of the most charming streets in Catania, where you can see some wonderful examples of eighteenth-century Baroque buildings, one after the other: the Jesuits’ Church, the Church of San Giuliani and the Benedictine Monastery, where Giovanni Verga, who was from Catania, based his book “Storia di una capinera”. After walking along this street, we advise you to go to the Ex Benedictine Convent, which is now the home of the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy. This important building, which looks like a palace, is near to Via Crociferi: if you are not too tired, you can walk along Via A. di Sangiuliano (a road that crosses Via Crociferi) that then becomes Via G. Clementi, or you can go by taxi or bus.
  After visiting the Monastery, it will probably be lunchtime. Choose one of the restaurants in Catania nearby and try out some of the delicious Catania food. Why not start off with an arancino di riso, in one of its thousand varieties, and with a delicious “crespella alle acciughe”. As a first course you have to try Pasta alla Norma a classic dish in Catania, that has become one of Sicily’s symbolic recipes. For your second course, choose a fish-based dish: the restaurants in Catania are famous for their fresh fish prepared in several different ways, depending on the chef’s imagination, but that are in keeping with traditional Sicilian cuisine. After a good coffee, you will be ready to continue with your itinerary.
  
• Afternoon
  Go to Via Etnea, an elegant street lined with Baroque-style buildings and shops that crosses the city from Piazza Duomo to Piazza Stesicoro, where you can see the Vincenzo Bellini Monument, the imposing Roman Amphitheater, one of the few remains from the Roman era that survived the volcano eruption and the earthquakes and the Church of Sant’Agata alla Fornace, one of the eight churches in Catania that are dedicated to the city’s patron saint.
  Once you have reached this point, you will be able to dedicate the rest of the afternoon to a relaxing, charming walk in the splendid Villa Bellini, one of the most popular places for the Catania people. 70000 square meters of squares, bridges, borders and fountains.
  
• Evening
  After a day spent looking at places so full of art and culture, the time has come to dedicate a bit of time to enjoyment: Catania leaves you with no end of choice. Go to one of the bars or clubs along the crowded Scalinata Alessi for your aperitif, one of the most popular meeting points in the city. Carry on the evening as you please: Catania has clubs for all tastes: from live music to the DJ set, from ethno-rock to electronic music, from the most exclusive wine bars to social centers.
  

Go to directories of the Web Sites

• Hotels & Lodgings in Catania
  
• Art & Culture in Catania
• Eating & Drinking in Catania
• Entertainment in Catania