Catania has a long and rich history. Founded in 729 B.C. as “Katane”, it was occupied by the Greeks in the second century B.C. and later, in 262 B.C., became a Roman colony. Traces of this noble past remain even today, in the ancient theatre and in the amphitheatre, whose arena is second [in size] only to that of the Colosseum in Rome. The city grew further under the Muslim occupation of Sicily in the ninth-century A.D. a period of particular cultural intensity – examples remain of an important school of Arabic-Sicilian poetry, for instance. The Norman period saw the construction of the cathedral and the Ursino Castle, today home of the city museum, and in 1434 the city’s cultural vivacity was reflected in the creation of Sicily’s first university, the “Siciliae Studium Generale”. In the century following the earthquake of 1693, which razed much of the city to the ground, Catania was rebuilt as a unique example of late baroque style, under the eye of the great architect Vaccarini. This earned the city the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002, and makes it a destination for tourists from all over the world.

Modern Catania is a picturesque and dynamic city of 350,000 inhabitants, notable particularly for its lively night-life and its position on the coast under Mount Etna. The university students, including visiting students from all over Europe, and the numerous pubs, cafes, restaurants, music venues, cinemas, and theatres make the ancient streets of the centre particularly vibrant at night. Along the coast not far from Catania there are also the ancient [fishing] villages of Aci Castello, with its stunning Norman castle, and Aci Trezza, made famous by Giovanni Verga’s novel, I Malavoglia, and known also for the rock stacks lying a little out to sea – according to Greek mythology, these are the rocks which the Cyclops hurled at Ulysses’s ship. In the evenings, particularly during the summer, the bars, ice cream shops, and restaurants which line the sea fronts of these villages are busy with people. Above Catania, and visible even from the streets in the centre, stands Mount Etna, 3,323 metres tall and the largest active volcano in Europe. Here one can go skiing, and take walks in the woods and on the barren volcanic terrain go skiiing, take walks…, and visit recent lava flows. From high points the volcano also offers unique panoramas over almost 70 kilometres of coastline, which varies from cliffs of black volcanic rock to the sandy beaches and natural oasis at the mouth of the Simeto river. This coast too can be easily reached by public transport, and offers numerous tourist sites and comfortable lidos. Thanks to Sicily’s mild climate, it is possible to enjoy this stunningly beautiful natural landscape throughout the year.