Location: Centro Catania
Top Things to do in Centro Catania
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Top 10 Sights & Landmarks in Centro Catania, Sicily
Catania has been a prize of many empires over the centuries, from Greeks to Romans to Arabs to Normans to Spaniards (to name a few). But its citizens have a more dangerous enemy right in their backyard—Mount Etna, Europe's largest and most active volcano, which destroyed the city with earthquakes and lava flows in 1693. Look closely at the baroque buildings dating from after the eruption—you'll notice a creative use of lava.
Restaurants in Catania
1. Basilica Catedrale Sant'Agata V.M. Catania
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,857 reviews
Reviewed By ArmyRangeratMIT - Wayne, United States
The city of Catania is a wonderful afternoon visit, with parking quite easy right outside the piazza… Heading towards the cathedral you see the iconic statue in the middle of the piazza that quite often symbolizes all of Sicily… Plenty of pictures can be had here and you can walk in almost any direction to find shops and stores… And of course the cathedral looks beautiful in the afternoon sun whether or not you go inside or just enjoy the beauty! Pick a spot to have a bite to eat and enjoy your glass of wine and your good luck finding a lovely afternoon in Catania!
2. Palazzo Biscari
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 459 reviews
The most important private palace in Catania and precious testimony of the Sicilian baroque. The frescoed halls, full of charm and elegance, represent a splendid setting for concerts, meetings, receptions, gala evenings, fashion shows.
Reviewed By Carolbike - White Salmon, United States
The owner is an excellent story teller about the original prince and his family, bringing the history of this well-maintained palazzo to life. It was very interesting.
3. Chiesa di San Nicolo All'Arena
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 212 reviews
Reviewed By ludortravel - Iasi, Romania
It is an astonishing piece of architecture in terms of both size, architectural solutions and emotional impact. It includes also a memorial of the fallen soldiers and not only. The entrance is free and a paid guided tour is available.
4. Piazza Duomo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,939 reviews
Reviewed By saronic - Zurich, Switzerland
Catania's Piazza del Duomo is definitely the center of the city and probably also its most beautiful square. Besides the Duomo it is surrounded by various attractive buildings like the Palazzo dei Elefanti, which on its backside touches the Piazza Università. Opposite of it, to the south, is the Seminario dei Chierici with - attached to it - the Porta Uzeda. In the center of the square is the city's symbol, a fountain with an elephant surmounted by an obelisk. There are usually plenty of people in the piazza, many obviously using it as a meeting point.
5. Via dei Crociferi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 411 reviews
Reviewed By elia452 - Sofia, Bulgaria
The street is with nice buildings and churches, it is near Piazza Duomo, deserves to be seen. We had a good walk of 20000 steps every day
6. Chiesa della Badia di Sant'Agata
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 346 reviews
Reviewed By karocska - Krakow, Poland
Beautiful view of Mount Etna and Piazza Duomo. Get up there by few hundred stairs or elevator for a few euros and get the most amazing view of this gorgeous city.
7. Fontana dell'Amenano
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 676 reviews
Reviewed By Hitchcock2
This glowing white carrara marble fountain is in perfect condition and stands on one corner of the magnificent Piazza Duomo just in front ( or behind) depending which way one comes from, of the fish market which has to be one of the best fish markets one can hope to visit. The fountain is hemmed in by buildings but this does not distract from its beauty. Flowing under the fountain is an underground river. Our guide told us there used to be 36 canals and now on one side behind the fountain, right beside the entrance to the fish market one can see the Fish Market Fountain with its 7 spouts.
8. Chiesa San Benedetto
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 180 reviews
The house of the cloistered nuns of Saint Benedict was built from April 1334, then it was razed to the ground by the earthquake of 1693, which spared only five out of the sixty religious who used to inhabit it. The church and the monastery were rebuilt between 1708 and 1763, thanks to the work of, among others, the architect G.B. Vaccarini and the painter from Messina G. Tuccari. A large part of the gorgeous frescoes were covered at the end of XVIII century. Then they came back to light during the bombardaments of 1943, which severely damaged the building. The frescoes were restored thanks to the project of A. Dillon. In the church, in addition to the frescoes by Tuccari, it is possible to admire paintings by M. Desiderato and M. Rapisardi, and the wonderful altar in polychrome marble decorated with jasper and silver foils on which the Lamb of God dominates.
9. Basilica Collegiata
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 213 reviews
Reviewed By ludortravel - Iasi, Romania
On of the most decorated churches in Catania. Not very big but with an impressive facade and really beautiful paintings inside. Free entrance, close to the cathedral.
10. Cappella Bonajuto
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 83 reviews
Cappella Bonajuto is one of the few tangible witnesses of a far away era (the Bizantine era), which however may be seen and explored, but mostly lived through the careful management of this corner of history, which has made all this possible. Once here you can choose to visit the chapel and its past, or choose it as an ideal location for your events or important occasions. The experience will take you back in a time that began at the beginning of the VI century A.D. "Cappella Bonajuto: Historical site. A Bizantine monument immersed in the heart of Sicilian Baroque" Walking on Via Vittorio Emanuele, entering its narrow and ancient streets, you'll find one of the strongest monuments of Medieval Catania: Cappella Bonajuto awaits you in all of its reborn splendor to be lived, just as it was in the past. The religious building, dating back to approximately the VI century is found in the 'Civita' neighborhood, and this is where the Chapel resisted the terrible earthquake of 1693. It is rich with repertories from the 400's and from medieval times. The paintings and decorations are very rare. Concerning its original location, the ground level of the building has dropped over two meters due to the earthquakes and lava flow. Salvatore, popularly known as Salvatorella, was integrated in the construction of the home residence of the Bonajuto family in the 4th century. In the 1930's the chapel was renovated by Paolo Orsi and Sebastiano Agati.
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