Sicily - Catania

Catania

Second city most populated in Sicily after Palermo, Catania is also one of oldest of the island, rested by Greeks in the VIIIth BC (about – 724), but it was occupied by Sicani tribes since a long time.

The city competed several centuries with Syracuse on eastern Sicily. It knew a certain opulence under the Romans. Then, like most of Sicily, it was successively occupied after the fall of Rome by the Byzantines, the Arabs, and the Normans.
In the XVIIth century, Catania lived two catastrophes: lava flows in 1669 which recovered the low parts of the city, then an earthquake which destroyed it in 1693. More than 30.000 people died.

Some places are interesting to visit, like the baroque churches, the cathedral, the castle and the historical district where a significant fish market is traditionally held.
Catania is situated at the base of Etna, 45 km far from Taormina and 60 km from Syracuse.

See also : monuments and pictures of Catania

Photos of Catania