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Latest Catania hotel reviews
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Favorite thing: Saint Francesco Borgia
This baroque church as the following one are both on Via Crociferi where you can find at the same time staircases, either simple or with landings, balustrades, staircases topped by marble statues, arched pilasters, classical columns, domes, decorations, loggias, Simetan marble fountains on Parisian marble pilasters. There are bronze reliefs, cornices, stairs with railings, capitals and architraves, which all together make this street the backbone of Catanese baroque!
Written Sep 12, 2002
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Favorite thing: San Francesco e l'Immacolata
Via Crociferi is lined with an extraordinary variety of churches...
Let's admire these tremendious architectural baroque beauties...
Written Sep 12, 2002
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Favorite thing: Il Duomo -The cathedral of Saint Agatha
Erected in 1092 and work of Giovan Battista Vaccarini, it was remade in 1169 and also after the earthquake of 1693.
On the piazza there were several artists painting - ME - standing beside that Elephant fountain :-) or was it the church or the statue...LOL?!
That curious fountain has two of the ancient treasures of Catania, that survived the earthquake. One of them is a large elephant made of volcanic rock. Its origin is a mystery.
Written Sep 12, 2002
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Favorite thing: TAORMINA: THE GREEK THEATRE
One of the most charming places in Taormina is its Greek Theatre, at the top of the hill. You can just sit there for hours and see the sun go down, with the sea, the Etna volcano, all that quiet atmosphere...
The Greek Theatre in Taormina is the second-largest in Sicily after the one in Siracusa. All the Romans did later, in accordance with their well-known ostentatious nature, was enlarge the theatre as it was very small. And it apparently took decades to build. It is fifty metres wide, one hundred and twenty metres long and twenty metres high, which means that about 100,000 cubic metres of stone had to be removed.
Written Aug 25, 2002
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Favorite thing: TAORMINA
Taormina was a big surprise for me. I didn't expect to find such a wonderful tiny village on top of a hill facing both the sea and the Etna. The main highlight is the theatre, started in the 3rd century B.C. by the Greeks and then rebuilt by the Romans. The other classic remains include the ruins of the Odeon (for musical shows) and the Naumachie (an artificial lake which represents naval battles). Palazzo Corvaia (15th century) is located in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, built on top of a pre-existing Arab tower. The Dome (13th century) has a simple stone facade.
Written Aug 25, 2002
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Favorite thing: CATANIA
The second most important city of Sicilyhas a few highlights (Cathedral of Sain Agatha and the Elephant Fountain, with a mysterious volcanic-rock elephant on base, the Roman anfiteatro, several wonderful churches) and is a good 'Basecamp' for trips to Etna, Taormina...
Written Aug 25, 2002
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Favorite thing: PIAZZA ARMERINA
The 'Villa del Casale', in Piazza Armerina (around the center of the island), is an ancient roman villa with amazing mosaics. It was built between 330 and 360 AD. The identity of its owner remains a subject of debate. However, three individuals are usually mentioned: Proculus Populonius, governor of Sicily from 314 to 337; Caeionus Rufus Volusianus, also called Lampadius, an influential and wealthy man; and Sabucinius Pinianus, probably of Roman birth.
There are 3500 square meters of mosaics on the villa's floors, and some surviving wall paintings. Many of the structure's walls are still standing. The style of the mosaics is said to be influenced by the North African motifs of the Romans. Some smaller finds from the site are housed in the Piazza Armerina archeological museum.
Written Aug 25, 2002
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Favorite thing: THE ETNA
You can visit the famous volcano and get very close to the mouth. Wear warm clothes. It's very cold up there!
Following the motorway Messina/Catania as far as the exit for Giarre, you pass the Etna villages of Santa Venerina and Zafferana to a height of about 6.175 feet, where you can admire the Silvestri Craters. From there you can reach the top by cable-car and jeep to the proximity of the central crater (about 9.900 feet). Returning to Taormina via Nicolosi you can see the 1983 lava flow.
Written Aug 25, 2002
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Favorite thing: Go on the top of the vulcano Etna!
Fondest memory: It was one of the most beautiful sites I saw in Sicily and definitely most exciting!! We arrived on the top of Etna by a small terain bus, which drove us almost in the lava itself. It wasn't that close, but it was still a wonderful experience to see lava running down the hill just a few meters a head of you!You can see the picture of it on the left, where I burned my snickers(they melted), because it was so hot!! But beside the lava, there was also a lot of interesting vulcano stones-a lot of different colours!! There were also the people who made ashtrays from lava-that was quite an interesting thing to see, because they were selling this ashtrays for 20$ at the bottom of Etna and here a man made in like 20 seconds!
Written Aug 25, 2002
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Favorite thing: Numerous are the traditions in a land where Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Spanishs, Normans and Swabs have lived.
The most important heritage of these peoples are the architectonical styles and the dialects, a mixture of exotic terms which are completely different from the national language.
If a stranger who doesn’t know Italian wants to make himself understand, he can try to say some words in his mother tongue: perhaps somebody will understand him.
The conquerors of the past have introduced, styles and customs which merged with the typical local ones and have hence given birth to unique traditions.The match between sacred and profane in the celebration of the patronal feasts which run during the year in all the towns of the province are to be remembered. Even the artistical representation shows traces of the external inheritance, for example the 'Opera dei Pupi' (puppet theatre). It is the story of the deeds of the paladins of Carlo Magno. Rich exhibits of 'puppets' can be admired c/o Natale Napoli in Gravina of Catania, in via Madonna di Fatima 14 (tel/fax 095/416787), c/o Turi Grasso in Acireale, in via Nazionale 95 Capomulini area (tel 095/7648035 - 800113 - 7632158) and c/o the Cooperativa E. Magrì of Acireale, Corso Umberto 113 (tel. 095/606272). A café in Catania near Porta Uzeda features a folkloristic exhibit of puppets. A 'café' or 'bar', especially in via Etnea in Catania, is rarely a 'bar'. The citizens of the province know that they can find elegant places of refreshment and therefore it would be too unsignificant the typical sentence 'let’s go to have a coffee': ice-cream-parlour, pastry shop, rotisserie, toasted coffee, granite (to be found only in Sicily), all home produced. Many of these places are so old and renowned to be a tradition for the countries or the cities where they are found. Those who are in a hurry or are thirsty may stop at the typical kiosks and quench their thirst with the typical home-made drinks, such as 'selz al limone e sale' (water with lemon and salt), the typical 'latte di mandorla' (almond flavoured milk), the 'schampagnino', the 'misto amaro', the 'misto frutta', and dozens of other syrup-based drinks. At night, in Catania, you can go to one of the numerous pubs in the historical centre, where musical bands often perform and where you can sit in the open air during the good weather. During the night the town, trasformes into a quite but at the same time lively place, completely different from the one you may see during the day, frantic and swarming with people who go around the numerous shops looking for that bargain. Shopping in Catania and in the whole province is a real ritual, because many citizens are involved in commercial activities. You can find everything: objects of art, local ceramics, jewels created with the amber of the Simeto River and also fresh and seasoned products in all the main squares of the towns and villages, such as mushrooms, almonds, pistachios, 'zagara' honey (orange-blossom honey), tomatoes, oranges etc. A part of this ritual is to bargain: you must always ask for a discount. Especially in the fish market of Catania (very fresh fish offered by local fishermen), near the Duomo (Cathedral basilica of Catania), and at the 'fera o luni' of Piazza Carlo Alberto, always in the provincial capital, which on Sunday morning becomes a very interesting market of antiques. Here, you can also find old and modern wrought iron objects together with objects made of lava which are a button-hole in the local craftsmanship. It is here impossible to list all the handicraft because some are typical of a certain area, such as the lace of Mirabella Imbaccari or the ceramics of Caltagirone and Giarre.Finally, the best way to live the numerous local traditions is to travel from one area to another, on the occasion of the various feasts and celebrations which are performed all the year round.
Written Aug 24, 2002
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Reviews and photos of Catania attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Catania sightseeing.
Numerous are the traditions in a land where Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Spanishs, Normans and Swabs have lived.The most important heritage of these peoples are the...
75 members live in Catania
Q: Hey can anyone tell me how are the prices for clothes in December. Are there any sale.
A: anywhere sales are usually after Xmas, in january
Read 2 Replies
1
So I spent a year living in Catania, teaching English, and traveling Sicily. It was my home base it's a heck of a town.
2
One of Italy's undiscovered gems
It's far away from the main tourist routes but it's near everything. Half an hour from Southern Italy's tallest mountain (the still very active volcano Etna) and a short shot from some of the best...
3
Catania is a beautiful Baroque Italian city. The city itself is rather large and just like any other city has it good and bad places to be. The main squares or piazzas are; Piazza Stesicoro, Piazza......
4
I've got some interesting experiences in Catania. I'd love to share with you the 8 tips I've written, the 9 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created.
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Ultimately Sicilia. Yes, ultimately indeed because I have planned and postponed visiting Sicily so many times in passed few years. We took four days Easter package by plain but unfortunatelly Palermo...
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