Page 299 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

Catania

First impressions don’t say much at all for CATANIA – there’s heavy industry here, a
large port and some depressing suburbs, while the traffic-choked city centre is largely
constructed from suffocating, black-grey volcanic stone. Indeed, the influence of Etna
is pervasive, with the main thoroughfare named after the volcano, which looms
threateningly just to the north. Yet Catania is well worth a day or two’s visit. It is first

and foremost a commercial place, boasting arguably the island’s best two markets,
while if you look beyond the darkened shadows of the buildings you’ll detect some of
the finest Baroque architecture in Sicily. A large student population enlivens the
centre, and the thronged piazzas and bars make for one of the island’s most exuberant
evening promenades. In early February Catania devotes itself to celebrating the
festival of its patron, Saint Agatha, with a passion and intensity diminished not a jot
by the fact that this is Sicily’s most outward-looking, contemporary and international

city.

Catania is a major transport terminus, with buses (from the central bus station and
the airport) to just about every major destination on the island. The train service is
less comprehensive, though the lines south to Siracusa and north to Taormina and
Messina are useful. If you’re Etna-bound by public transport you’ll have to leave from
Catania itself – drivers usually choose to see the volcano from the prettier towns and

villages to the north. You could see the whole of central Catania in a busy day’s
strolling, but the city really deserves more time if you can spare it. Most of the sights
are confined within a small area, centred on Piazza del Duomo and the cathedral,
from where the wide main avenue, Via Etnea, steams off to the north up to the city’s

Bellini gardens. Fish market and castle lie to the south, and the landmark Teatro
Bellini to the east. Much of this entire area, sections of Via Etnea included, is closed
to traffic, so walking around is quite enjoyable, especially at night when certain areas
become bar and café zones.