A Trip to Sicily: Catania

We always want to go to Sicily. The first impression of Sicily comes from the ‘Godfather’ movies, where Sicily seems isolated, violent and tough. Then we watched the famous 1963 movie ‘Leopard’. The movie is written by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa about a Sicilian aristocrat in the 1860’s based on his great-grandfather.  Leopard represents a very different Sicily with a distinct identity. Sicilians here are proud, passionate and resilient.  

Sicily seems to be a place that is beautiful, tough, passionate, and mysterious all at once. As if there are not enough reasons for us to visit, it is also a food destination.

It is surprising that it has taken us this long to finally get into action. Part of the diddling is not sure what time of the year we should go and which part of Sicily we should start. Summer in Sicily is definitely too hot for us and there are too many tourists.  When we planned for somewhere to go to beat our winter blues in Toronto, Sicily seemed to be an obvious choice. Temperatures are mild, about 15C and there are very few tourists around. Sure that it won’t be a beach vacation (which we are more than OK with), but the Christmas celebration in Sicily would make up the lack of heat.

Given the limited time (10 days) we have, we decided that we would stay in the southeast part of the island.

We first arrived at Catania, the second largest city in Sicily. It is positioned in the shadow of Mount Etna on the island’s eastern coast. While it doesn’t attract the same kind of attention as Palermo, Catania has plenty of its own to offer: fine architecture, bustling markets, some of the best universities in Europe and rich history dating to the city’s beginnings as a modest Greek colony. A local lady we ran into at the famous fish market summaries the city nicely: Catania is old and also very young. It gives surprises at every turn.

View from our apartment in Catania.

I have to admit that Catania is not love from the first sight for us. It is a bit rundown and grim on the surface. But it is a city with great energy and a bohemian feel. There are so much more to see and experience and we will definitely go back!

Where to go

Piazza Duomo is the city's focal point and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The grandiose Baroque style square was built in the 18th century after the earthquake in the late 1600’s.  The baroque façade of the Cattedrale di Sant' Agata is one of the finest in the world. It is Catania’s showpiece church with an unusual grey and white color scheme fashioned out of volcanic rock.

The Fontana dell'Elefante, a meeting spot for the locals, sits in the middle of the piazza, featuring a smiling black-lava elephant and Egyptian obelisk. Legend has it that the elephant belonged to the 8th-century magician Eliodorus, who reputedly made his living by turning people into animals. The obelisk itself is said to possess magical powers that help ease Mt Etna's volatile temperament.

Piazza dell’Universita is located at the southern end of Via Etnea. This square is surrounded by two magnificent palaces facing each other: The Palazzo dell’Universita which houses the old university and the Palazzo San Giuliano. Both palaces have beautiful facades and nice inner courtyards.

Giardino Bellini is the gardens of Villa Bellini. It is a very pleasant place to relax and away from the crowds on Via Etnea. You can take a casual stroll around the large trees, many fountains and statues. Or simply sit on a bench in the shade to rest. There is also a perfect view of Mont Etna from the terrace at the top of the hill.

Catania’s ancient history is visible everywhere you go. A few standouts are Terme della Rotonda and the ruins of the Anfiteatro Romano. Terme della Rotonda is an ancient thermal bath complex from the Roman Empire that was repurposed and used as a Christian house of worship beginning in the sixth century — the oldest in Catania. Anfiteatro Romano is a 2nd-century BC amphitheatre that once seated up to 16,000 spectators.

A stay in Catania is not complete without a visit to the famous fish market La pescheria, just behind the piazza del Duomo. It’s lively and full of action. You will stroll among decapitated swordfish, live lobsters, sardines, anchovies and all sorts of shellfish.

Catania is best to be explored by walking through its winding streets. There are many bars, cafes and restaurants dotted along the narrow streets. There were also many mini Christmas markets just off Via Etnea when we visited. One of the best surprises we stumbled upon is the magnificent Biblioteca Ursino Recupero, located next to the former Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò l’Arena. It is now part of the university. Also, if you follow the music, you can join a community Christmas concert!

Where to eat

Pasticceria Savia (Via Etnea 302; 00 39 095 322 335) is a historic pasticceria (pastry shop) located right across Villa Bellini. We had coffees and cannolo. Coffees are great (obviously). The shell of cannolo is crispy and the ricotta cheese stuffing is fluffy and creamy. The best cannolo I ever had. The shop is full of other gorgeous looking pastries. It is an ideal stop after a stroll in Giardino Bellini.

Osteria Antica Marina (Via Pardo 29; 00 39 095 348197; closed Wednesdays) is located in the heart of the fish market, with the outdoor tables overlooking the market. The restaurant serves superb seafood. We had orange fennel salad, fried artichoke and raw seafood platter for lunch. All the dishes were great. The raw seafood platter was outstanding. It was the first time for me to taste raw shrimp, and the shrimps are sweet and buttery. Simply delicious!

We ordered a bottle of Inzolia white wine to go with our lunch. Inzolia is an Italy grape variety grown both in Sicily and Tuscany. Our bottle of Inzolia was crisp and dry, with citrus, white flower and mineral notes. It was a perfect match to the seafood platter.  Lunch for two with wine €70. The restaurant is busy and reservation is recommended.

Trattoria da Antonio (Via Castello Ursino; 00 39 095 2184938) is recommended by our Airbnb host. It is an unpretentious trattoria serving high quality seafood with very reasonable price. We love it so much that we went back the second time. Everything we had was fantastic. The insalata di bufala was amazing with the surprising green onion garnish. The octopus salad and fried mixed seafood were divine. We also ordered the baked pappardelle with seafood.  The pasta was perfectly al dente and the seafood was exceptionally fresh. The dish came all wrapped up in aluminum foil and piping hot. Dinner for two with with wine €80. Reservation recommended.