Page 305 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

Halfway up Via Etnea, Piazza Stesicoro marks the modern centre of Catania, with its
western side almost entirely occupied by the sunken black remains of the Anfiteatro
Romano, built from lava blocks in the second or third century AD. Much is still
concealed under the surrounding buildings, but a diagram shows the original
dimensions of the theatre, which could hold sixteen thousand spectators – it’s quite

evident that the section you can walk through represents only one tiny excavated
corner.

Sant’Agata al Carcere

Piazza Santo Carcere • No set hours

Behind the Anfiteatro Romano is the twelfth-century church of Sant’Agata al
Carcere, built on the site of the prison where St Agatha was confined before her
martyrdom at the hands of the Romans. When it’s open (hours are sporadic), a
custodian will let you into the third-century crypt and show you the chapel’s medieval

stone doorway, topped by evil, grinning, sculpted heads and ape-like creatures.

Fera o Luni market

Piazza Carlo Alberto • Mon–Sat usually 7am–2pm
Off the east side of Via Etnea, at Piazza Stesicoro, the stalls are out from early in the

morning ranged up Via San Gaetano alla Grotta, heralding the city’s rambunctious
Fera o Luni market, which is centred on the broad Piazza Carlo Alberto. As well as
fruit, veg and fish, all kinds of clothes (new and secondhand), shoes, accessories and
household goods are sold here, from tat piled high on a wooden cart to cut-price
designer labels (or copies thereof), all accompanied by the constant patter and

haggling of cheery traders. The market is a great spot for souvenir-hunting, even more
so on Sundays when an antiques fair takes over the space.

Villa Bellini

For tourists Via Etnea finishes at the Villa Bellini, just beyond the post office, a large,
ornamental public garden that provides a welcome touch of greenery. The stand-up

drinks bar here is where the local police hang out, whiling away time between meal
breaks; rather touching photos of the regulars are pinned up, posing stiffly in uniform
on horseback or motorbikes.

Zo: the centre for contemporary culture

Piazzale Asia 6 • Museo del Cinema Tues–Sun 9am–12.30pm, plus Tues & Thurs 3–4.30pm • €4 • Museo
Storico dello Sbarco in Sicilia 1943 Tues–Sat 9am–12.30pm, plus Tues & Thurs 3–5pm • €4 • 095 816 8912,
zoculture.it

In the east of the city, up Viale Africa near Stazione Centrale, Catania’s former