Catania overview

Arriving in Catania is akin to arriving into a volcano, with the city built from destructive lava that buried the area in 1669, when neighbouring Mt Etna erupted. Today, there remains a veil of soot on the elegant city architecture which is predominantly the creation of Giovanni Vaccarini, the baroque master, who single-handedly created the city’s piazzas and spacious boulevards which are one of Europe’s greatest repositories for the period. Catania’s murky past permeates modern history, with a distinctly shady local government seemingly intent on ignoring former glories in favour of commercial enterprise. Sicily’s second city is a haven for entrepreneurs and a large student presence has created an uncompromising local population. Catania’s tormented history of natural devastation means an ancient cloud hangs over the city heart, although the shamefully neglected ruins are a fine location to converse (argue) with the passionate locals.