12 Good intentions to choose Catania

JANUARY: EXPLORING A MONASTERY

Entering here means going through more than five hundred years of history. Inside the Benedictine Monastery, which was founded in 1558 by Cassino monks and today represents one of the largest and most fascinating European complexes, the jewel of the late Sicilian Baroque and prestigious university is one of the obligatory stops for those visiting for the first time. city: there are many tours to choose from, to feel magically projected in the Middle Ages and – between a garden and a long corridor – to dream of hearing the voice of William of Baskerville!

FEBRUARY: PARTICIPATE IN THE THIRD RELIGIOUS MORE IMPORTANT CELEBRATION IN THE WORLD

To tell how spectacular this Christian holiday that takes place between 3 and 5 February in honor of the Patron Saint of Catania, Sant’Agata, just think that for the number of participants this celebration is second only to the Holy Week in Seville and to Corpus Christi of Cuzco in Peru. Thousands of devotees each year wear a white sack, a black hat, a tight rope at the waist, gloves, a handkerchief and a cockade on the heart, while they carry the reliquary bust of the Saint in procession, accompanied by votive candles. The most characteristic moments are certainly the fireworks of February 3rd, the cantata of the cloistered nuns in via Crociferi (the whole Baroque street is Unesco heritage) of 6 at dawn and the final greeting to the faithful, before returning to the Duomo , full of emotion..

MARCH: WALKING ON THE ACTIVE VOLCANO MORE HIGH OF EUROPE

Skiing looking at the sea in winter, passing through lush countryside with citrus groves, vineyards, chestnut and oak forests with almost lunar views, experiencing the thrill of walking on Europe’s highest active volcano on foot and with a tour guide or quads, for a more adventurous experience. If Etna has been Unesco heritage since 2013, the reasons are many: its frequent eruptions and the lava flows from the craters are of impressive striking beauty, in its natural park there are dozens of species of Mediterranean flora and fauna and the road – which crosses several times various flows, the result of eruptions of different vintages – leads up to the top and to a landscape that even shows the coasts of Calabria or the Hebrides and Peloritani mountains of central Sicily. Among the unmissable stops, between the deep canyons, there are cavities like the Grotta del Gelo, an imposing volcanic cave full of ice perennially. Nearby, it is wonderful to discover the Alcantara Gorges formed thanks to the erosive action of the cold waters of the river of the same name.

APRIL: VISITING THE “PREFERRED” PALACE OF COLDPLAY AND GOETHE

Falling in love with the beauty of Palazzo Biscari is almost taken for granted and it was easy to fall in love with Goethe during his trip to Sicily and even Coldplay who, in 2008, shot the video of their song Violet Hill here. This building was built after the earthquake of 1693 on the ruins of some sixteenth-century bastions and today it is among the oldest buildings in the city and among the most evocative examples of the Baroque.
Moving inside the palace is like living inside a fairy tale: rococo style halls, finely frescoed ceilings and an exceptional guide – the owner – who will lead to the discoveries of the wonders and anecdotes of the ancestors, which envelop this enormously beautiful structure, which has about seven hundred rooms and is located in the oldest part of Catania, close to the Civita district and to few steps from the port and the famous arches of the Marina.

MAY: ENJOY THE BEST STREET FOOD YOU HAVE NEVER TRIED

That in Sicily good food abounds is a fact: the hot table like the typical sweets and the first of the tradition (if you have never tried the Pasta alla Norma, a typical catanese first course, do it immediately and let yourself be conquered by the perfect mix of aubergines, tomato and salted ricotta). But to taste the true essence of Catania, you have to aim for a “street” gastronomic tour and taste all the meat based dishes in the area via Plebiscito and Castello Ursino: from the famous meatball and horse slice to the chops, the pins and generously stuffed meat rolls. And for those who prefer fish? Do not miss a trip to the fish market, behind the Cathedral: a mix of folklore and goodness, where the screams of street vendors are intertwined with the sounds of fresh fish boxes on pallets (as they say here “I live alive”) and a characteristic climate of popular excitement that surrounds every corner of this huge open-air fish market (to be immortalized with your smartphone, absolutely).

JUNE: ENCHANTING BEFORE THE WONDER OF STREET ART BETWEEN SILOS AND DISTRICTS WITH RED LIGHTS

Catania has been synonymous with street art for several years: artists from all over the world wanted to leave an imprint of their passage here and give the city beautiful works.

There are many areas where you can admire masterpieces, but to begin to discover the best of graffiti, we report at least two places: the San Berillo area, a former red-light district, where the redevelopment has also passed through this art form and the walled doors of the former brothels animated today by contemporary masterpieces are countless.

Worth a walk to the silos in the Porto area: six, huge and decorated by renowned artists, among the largest in the world (Microbo and Vlady Art, among others). They tell of the myth of Ulysses and Polyphemus in an absolutely urban and industrial place and frame the largest vertical mural in the world: it is as tall as a ten-story building and as wide as a football field. Painted by the Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto (a.k.a. Vhils), the work / portrait wants to celebrate the encounter between the cultures that over the centuries have defined the Sicilian identity.

JULY: MAKING THE BATH IN THE BEACHES OF CYCLOPS AND THOSE OF BLACK LAVA

Black sand, rocks or pebbles? The seaside panorama of the Ionian coast varies from kilometer to kilometer: for those who love the sand, you can opt for the clear one of the 22 km of the Playa and its beaches, or choose the volcanic beach of San Giovanni Li Cuti, a small fishing village on the lungomare catanese.

Sassolini a gò-gò in the beach of Fondachello and for lovers of legends, a dip in the classicism with the Faraglioni of Acitrezza, huge boulders that according to the Homeric poem were launched by Polyphemus against Ulysses (the largest of them is known like the island Lachea, a protected marine reserve for years).

Among a “nice coconut” of street vendors and a batch of carioca or trump in 5 of the aficionados of the beach huts at the Playa, it will be a truly magical summer.

AUGUST: EATING A SWORDFISH KEBAB

For us, summer is synonymous with festivals: granita, blue fish, cherries, roses and … even macaroni with sauce and sausage.

The truth is that we like to eat well and do it convivially, spreading the aroma of good local cuisine. Among the most curious festivals, we choose the fisherman’s festival, which takes place in the small village of Santa Maria la Scala.

Get ready: you can even enjoy swordfish kebabs!

SEPTEMBER: ENJOY ONE OF THE MOST GOOD WINES IN THE WORLD

To tell you how good this wine is, we only tell you that Homer tells us that Ulysses drunk Polyphemus the Cyclops with wines made from wild Etna grapes. worldwide.

This is because the vines that rise on these soils grow with a special light climate and generate wines rich in personality.

Among these is the famous white, red and rosé Etna DOC, obtained from the grapes of four completely autochthonous vines, fed by sandy soils and volcano lava: the Carricante, the Catarratto from which we get the Etna Bianco Doc, the Nerello Mascalese and the Nerello Cappuccio from which we obtain the Etna Rosso.

OCTOBER: DINING IN A CAVE ON A UNDERGROUND RIVER OR ADMIRING CATANIA FROM THE TERRACES IN THE CENTER

Catania is beautiful from the tops of the highest roofs up to the undergrounds. To admire it from the top you can opt for one of the terraces of the rooms in the center, or choose a view overlooking the sea and Mount Etna from the Abbey of S. Agata or from the Diocesan Museum.

And to admire its foundations or a mysterious river? Just book a tour of the excavations in front of Piazza Stesicoro or choose an exclusive table in a room with a characteristic natural cave … just view the underground river: this is the Amenano River, which runs through the underground city and reaches the surface at the wonderful source of ‘Amenano (or “water or linzuolu” as the Catanians call it), a stone’s throw from the Duomo and the fish market.

NOVEMBER: ENJOY THE MOVIDA OF THE SOUTH MILAN

The climate is always mild, the atmosphere is always warm. Does Catania have plenty to do and satisfy all tastes?

Do you love music? Try the experience of a concert at a former customs house or dance in a former sulfur refinery with a huge and characteristic chimney.

Do you prefer the theater? Impossible not to be conquered by the magnificence of the Massimo Bellini theater and its square in the heart of the historic center.

Do you want to eat typical, in an absolutely characteristic street? Choose vico Santa Filomena and one of the beautiful design venues. Do you opt for a drink? Wander randomly through the historic center and sneak into one of the thousands of places, animated until late at night, and let the barman and mixologist recommend the cocktail that best suits your personality and your tastes.

DECEMBER: CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH A HUGE FALSE AND SO MUCH BAROQUE

In the villages of the province it is easy to find the characteristic bonfires, lit near Christmas Eve and lit to ideally warm the Baby Jesus. To animate the streets of the center, also the music of the bagpipers who play the characteristic bagpipes called “ciaramedde” to announce the arrival of Christmas.

Typical Christmas atmosphere, cheering her with songs, representations, concerts and typical sweets, from the nougat to the mustazzoli up to the delicious artisan pistachio panettone.