The Sicily Series: 24 Hours in Catania

WORDS & PICTURES: Johanna Picano

Connect with Johanna on Instagram | JohannaPicano.com

Planning a weekend trip to Italy? Save Florence, Venice and Rome for later and explore Sicily’s Catania. Between the Ionian Sea and the highest active volcano in Europe lies this lively city. With its 300,000 inhabitants, Catania is the second-largest city in Sicily, after Palermo, and the tenth largest city in Italy. A blend of history, food, architecture, Southern Italian lifestyle (and its international airport) makes Catania the perfect spring or autumn weekend escape. Come with me and spend 24 hours in Catania.

MOUNT ETNA: BLACK BEAUTY

Mount Etna is a tricky landlord, and her mood has a direct effect on the city of Catania itself. Numerous earthquakes and lava eruptions have devastated Catania through the centuries, and the city has been reconstructed several times. But the spirit of Catania lies in the expression “melior de cinere surgo”, meaning effectively “rising from the ashes even more beautiful”. And this is what Catania does, time after time. 

Following the last devastating earthquake in the late 17th century, the Sicilian nobility based in Catania decided to invest a lot of money in its transformation. With the idea that more is more, one palace after the other was crafted in lava stone and intensely decorated, to the point that a new architectural style was born: the Sicilian Baroque. Because of this, the city centre of Catania is black and unique in style, and although the palaces are today a little worn-down, it’s still possible to capture their old splendour.

Read the previous instalment in The Sicily Series: First Impressions in Taormina

START THE DAY LIKE A SICILIAN

Let’s be honest: how can you not fall in love with a place where you have ice cream for breakfast? The traditional Sicilian breakfast consists in granita, a kind of sorbet, and brioche, a sweet bun, and it’s just as amazing as it sounds. During their domination of the island, the Arabs began mixing freshly squeezed lemon juice with ice from Etna, which later morphed into this iconic Sicilian specialty. 

Nowadays, you can choose between a number of flavours, from lemon and strawberry to almond and coffee. Any bar will serve it, although I’d recommend one of the bars in front of the Villa Bellini park or in the Piazza Duomo, combining breakfast with the subtle art of people-watching.

VIA ETNEA, PIAZZA DUOMO & A’PISCARIA

The heart of Catania is concentrated around its main street, Via Etnea, and its central square Piazza Duomo. Via Etnea is mainly a shopping street, but serves also as a natural meeting point for locals, so it’s bustling at all hours of the day. Here and there you’ll find traces of history, like the ancient Roman theatre at Piazza Stesicoro. Via Etnea leads to the Piazza Duomo, known for its lava elephant statue that watches over the square. The majestic cathedral with its black facades is rich in ornaments and consecrated to the patron saint Sant’Agata. 

Just across the elegant square sits Catania’s traditional fish market A’Piscaria. No 24 hours in Catania are complete without a stroll around this market. As if a tsunami of Mediterranean goodness had washed over the marketplace, this is a perfect scene for the ordinary chaos of daily life. Everyone shouts friendly greetings at each other; fish is carried away, ready to transform from today’s catch into today’s lunch. Around the market, there are restaurants where you can either sit for a three-course meal or just grab some fried fish to-go. 

Catania is well known for its excellent street food, and there is no better opportunity to try than at the fish market. The market is an explosion of colour with all kinds of fruits and vegetables; because although Etna is a dangerous neighbour, she’s a generous one, too. Its rich volcanic soils render the slopes of Etna perfect for agriculture.

More from Sicily | Strolling in Sicily, Italy: Slow Travel in Palermo

SPEAKING OF CULTURE…

Aside from the historical remains of the ancient Roman theatre and the even better-preserved ancient Greek theatre, Catania offers a wide range of cultural experiences. There are art museums for both classical and modern art, a wonderful opera house named after the city’s most famous composer Vincenzo Bellini, and a number of private palaces, once home to Sicilian noble families and now open to the public, like Palazzo Biscari. 

One of the most fascinating sites to visit is the Benedictine Monastery. Today, this Sicilian Baroque building is an integrated part of the University of Catania, but it’s possible to visit with a guided tour that takes you on a journey in time. Behind these walls, there are traces from all the cultures that have dominated Sicily over the centuries, well-adapted and integrated into the majestic building. When in use, this was one of the biggest monasteries in Europe.

SUNDOWN ON YOUR 24 HOURS IN CATANIA

Catania never sleeps. As a university city, with friendly locals on every corner ready to place a chair out in the street and pour you a glass of wine, there are endless opportunities for a nice evening out. Catania isn’t well polished. She’s not always polite. But under the scratched surface, she’s warm, generous and full of life – just like her people.