In Catania you will find out that baroque is everywhere. The area behind the cathedral is stunningly beautiful!

Starting from Palazzo Biscari, one of the UNESCO World Heritage monuments of Catania, you will find a city rich in gargoyles, cherubs and flowers. Thanks to baroque architecture, it was chosen by Coldplay for the video clip set of “Violet Hill” in 2008.

On the right side of via Vittorio Emanuele along the part bordering the Cathedral, you will see many baroque buildings: palazzo Valle (the head office of the Puglisi-Cosentino Foundation) that often hosts cultural events and modern art exhibitions; palazzo Bonajuto and the Convitto Cutelli school, on the square that bears the same name with beautifully preserved rooms by Vanvitelli and Vaccarini. At the end of “corso reale” (the royal avenue) visit palazzo Reburdone, home to the faculty of Political Science of Catania University and the prestigious Gioenia Academy.

That’s not all the baroque the city has to offer. Enjoy the beauty of via A. di Sangiuliano! Starting with the “acchianata” (in Sicilian it means “slope”) the first crossroads will lead you to the pearl of Catania baroque: via Crociferi. Both on the right and on the left there are plenty of palaces and churches to see. The famous palazzo Gravina Cruyllas, built on the remains of a homonymous palace in the eighteenth century that is home to the Bellini museum and the Emilio Greco museum in piazza San Francesco d’Assisi. On the opposite side are the wonderful Villa Cerami and its beautiful gardens, which is now home to the Faculty of Law.

Further on, in piazza Stesicoro, there’s the roman amphitheatre – the world’s second largest after the Colosseum – and Palazzo del Toscano will let you shoot lots of beautiful photos!