San Berillo

Culture, Tipical places
Via Giovanni di Prima - 95131 Catania

    They say that in order to know the history of Catania you need to take a look at one of its historic neighbourhoods, San Berillo. In the centre of Catania, San Berillo shows its visitors many faces and facets with its Baroque and Fascist buildings, some unfinished and some destroyed by bombardments or other events, and with its simple houses.

    Arising after the 1693 earthquake, the neighbourhood starting in Piazza Stesicoro was destined to become a noble neighbourhood but reconstruction and building speculation that followed and lasted until the fifties would transform San Berillo into a narrow and marginalized neighbourhood.

    Once home to brothels, which were closed in 1958 by the Merlin law, the neighbourhood continues to be a refuge for delinquency and prostitution.

    Today, after redevelopment of the neighbourhood, different associations are seeking to promote the relaunch and touristic and cultural enhancement of this historic corner of Catania. The “Secret Catania” tours lead to the discovery of San Berillo from the prospective of its inhabitants, allowing visitors to listen to those who live in the neighbourhood as they talk about “secrets, their dreams and even their delusions and the risks of the oldest profession in the world”. In via Buda, the ReBa Museum, which promotes all forms of art, is bringing new life to the area.