Explorations of a Baroque city at the foot of Mt. Etna.
Who would put a city next to a very active volcano?!? Well, the Greeks.
Catania was founded by Greek settlers in the 8th century BCE and there has been a city here every since. People were drawn to the great soils that surround Mt. Etna and decided to put up with one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
Jana Irving It is really hard to get a photo of Mt. Etna from Catania, unless you pay to climb a building, which I didn’t think to do until it was too cloudy. This is from the bus from Ragusa.
A large eruption spewed lava over a good portion of Catania in 1669. The city was only saved because of the city walls. However, a major earthquake followed in 1693 devastating the city. As a result, Catania, like other eastern Sicilian cities (Noto, Syracuse, Ragusa, etc.), was rebuilt in the Baroque fashion popular at the time. And this is why I went to Catania.
Jana Irving Piazza Università in the heart of Baroque Catania. As the name of the plaza suggests, this building is part of the University of Catania.
Jana Irving The peak Baroque Basilica Cattedrale di Sant’Agata.
Jana Irving It’s a bit more subdued inside though.
Jana Irving All very Baroque.
Jana Irving Mt. Etna peaking out from behind the buildings.
Jana Irving Chiesa della Badia di Sant’Agata, the church of a Benedictine abbey.
Jana Irving That chandelier is massive.
Jana Irving There were three churches near this same intersection.
Jana Irving Looking down.
Jana Irving Villa Cerami once sat at the edge of the city. It is now used for the University of Catania, but the garden is open to explore.
Jana Irving Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini has almost identical buildings on every corner. The cathedral is peaking through.
Jana Irving Construction of San Nicolò l’Arena started in the 17th century. It obviously was never finished. The church is part of a large monastery complex.
Jana Irving It took until 1796 to finish the dome.
Jana Irving The altar area was pretty neat.
Jana Irving Next door to the church is the Monastero di San Nicolò l’Arena. It was the second largest Benedictine monastery until it was confiscated by the Italian state. Today, it is part of the University of Catania and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Jana Irving The building is simply gorgeous inside and out.
Jana Irving Just look at that fanciness.
Jana Irving Just one of the cloisters. I’m glad I took a tour.
Jana Irving On the left is part of the 1669 lava flow. The monastery was rebuilt after the earthquake, incorporating some of the new terrain.
Jana Irving The main staircase is really something.
Jana Irving It’s a lot.
Jana Irving The Ancient Roman Theater was probably built around the 2nd century CE. It could have accommodated 7,000 spectators.
Jana Irving It wasn’t fully excavated until the 19th century. Buildings were built into the structure of the ancient theater.
Jana Irving The theater today is almost completely surrounded by “newer” buildings.
Jana Irving The vomitoria or exit passageways.
Jana Irving The 19th century Teatro Massimo Bellini.
Jana Irving The next morning, after many delays, I made it to the Monumental Cemetery of Catania.
Jana Irving The older sections were very few. Most of the cemetery is modern.
Jana Irving The cemetery is dominated by giant columbaria that look like office buildings built after WWII.
Jana Irving This one is a bit different.
Jana Irving Catania’s Castello Ursino, a 13th century castle that now hosts the city museum.
Jana Irving What remains of the Roman Amphitheater, built around the 3rd century.
I had been to Catania’s airport before, but never really stopped inside the city. I’m glad I did this time. There is a lot to explore in Catania and in the neighboring region, a perfect spot for Mt. Etna excursions.
Check out my next update where I explore another Sicilian city, Messina!
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Start at the beginning of this adventure.
