CATANIA

Piazza del Duomo welcomes visitors with ” O Liotru “, the elephant symbol of Catania. The various legends that accompany it consider it magical , protector from the eruptions of Etna, memory of a forgotten religion and much more.

The name ” O Liotru ” seems to derive from the distortion of Heliodorus, the name of a noble considered a magician and necromancer who rode the stone elephant to go to Constantinople. The fountain takes its current shape in 1736 even if it is the result of several elements with different ages: the marble base, the stone elephant, the obelisk brought to Catania by the Crusades, the restored trunk and the tusks added after the damage. of the earthquake of 1693. The fountain is framed by the Palazzo degli Elefanti (Town Hall), the Palazzo dei Chierici joined to the Cathedral (see point 2) by a passage above the Porta Uzeda . In front of the Town Hall there is the Amenano fountain , the river that flows under Catania visible right under the fountain.

As in any southern city, you can find the true soul of the place by visiting the popular markets . Those in which the people of Catania show themselves as they are, in their normal daily activities

There are several but there are two that absolutely cannot be missed. The first is the Pescheria which is located behind Piazza del Duomo and in Fera ‘or Luni , in Piazza Carlo Alberto. La Pescheria is a fish market, the most colorful, animated, chaotic and therefore characteristic of Catania. As in many markets in Sicily, here the vuciate resound, that is the cries of the traders to attract customers. Not far away, in Piazza Carlo Alberto, takes place in Fera ‘o Luni , a daily market of fruit, clothes, toys and other merchandise which in recent years has taken on a strong multi-ethnic connotation. In the same square, every Sunday, there is a Flea Market , a delight for those looking for a bargain at a low price.

Catania could not fail to pay homage to its most famous son, the composer Vincenzo Bellini. And he did so in 1890, 55 years after his death at the age of 34 with Norma, his most famous work.

That evening they were all there: Luigi Capuana, Giovanni Verga, Federico De Roberto, nobles and ministers of the Kingdom. At the end of the performance, the people also enter, to admire that theater that was said to be beautiful. And indeed it is: with a guided tour you can visit the hall with four tiers of boxes and the richly decorated gallery. The ceiling is frescoed with images of Bellini and his most famous works: Norma, La sonnambula, I puritani and Il pirata . The curtain portrays the ” Victory of the Catania people over the Libyans “. Could not miss the bronze statue of Vincenzo Bellini, the work of Salvo Giordano. Today the Bellini has an orchestra of 105 elements, a choir of 84 elements and has a rich concert and opera season.

The Benedictine Monastery of Catania is considered one of the largest monastic complexes in Europe .

After a skilful restoration, the Monastery today houses the University’s Department of Human Sciences and can be visited thanks to a nice guided tour. This allows you to retrace the 500 years of life of this place that hosted the monks and then barracks, schools, up to the current destination . Before visiting, we recommend reading De Roberto’s “ I Vicerè ”, the story of a family from Catania after the unification of Italy. There is no shortage of references to this place, with the monks portrayed as gourmets (they cooked and ate a lot), sharing leftovers with their lovers and children, while the servants resold what little remained… Today, the Monastery is a cultural space that hosts exhibitions, workshops, and conferences managed by the Officine Culturali Association.

Let’s start from the end, then from the desserts: cassata , cannoli with ricotta, the Iris (fried or baked bombs with various fillings), the Olivette di Sant’Agata , the brioche with granita and the great Catania ice creams.

Before arriving at this, however, you have probably gone through Catania’s street food: an arancino (rice and meat sauce), crispelle or schiacciate , offal or roasted artichokes . Sitting more or less comfortably you can taste a pasta alla Norma (with eggplant), a pasta with sardines , a caponata or a falsomagro . Especially in the popular neighborhoods, in the evening the butchers light the embers ( Arrusti and eat ) and allow you to eat horse meat and other types.