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Stemma di Catania

Sicily · Catania

Catania

Sicily's second city and the cultural anchor of the Ionian coast, a UNESCO late-Baroque centro storico rebuilt in lava-black stone after the 1693 earthquake, sitting at the foot of Etna with a 17th-century elephant fountain (U Liotru) as its civic symbol.

Known for

  • VAL DI NOTO UNESCO

    Post-1693 late-Baroque rebuild inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2002 — Vaccarini's lava-and-limestone palazzi and the U Liotru elephant fountain.

  • ETNA AT YOUR DOOR

    Europe's largest active volcano visible from every north-facing street; cable car + jeep reach the summit zone in an hour.

  • BELLINI CITY

    Birthplace of opera composer Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835); his house, theatre, and tomb are all in the centro storico.

When to visit

Best · Year-round

  • J16°
  • F17°
  • M18°
  • A20°
  • M24°
  • J30°
  • J33°
  • A33°
  • S30°
  • O25°
  • N21°
  • D17°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 29° and coldest in February at 15°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

The festa: Sant'Agata, 3 February

Why come

Catania is Sicily's second-largest city and the capital of the Ionian coast: 300,000 residents at the foot of Etna, with the volcano visible from every street that opens north. The current city is the third built on the same site — Greek Katánē (729 BC), Roman Catina, and the medieval town all in turn — and the version visible today was built almost entirely in the half-century after the 1693 Val di Noto earthquake destroyed 75% of the buildings and killed two-thirds of the population. The reconstruction was led by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini, who gave Catania its distinctive late-Baroque profile: wide regular streets paved with lava basalt, palazzi faced in the same black stone with white limestone trim, and the Piazza del Duomo at the centre with Vaccarini's 1735 elephant fountain (U Liotru, a Roman-era basalt elephant supporting an Egyptian obelisk) as the city's symbol.

The historic centre was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2002 as one of the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto. Beyond the Baroque: Bellini was born here, the Roman amphitheatre is the second-largest in Sicily, the Pescheria fish market runs every weekday morning, and the Etna cable car from Rifugio Sapienza is reachable in an hour for the high-altitude lava fields.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Catania’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

How to get there

Catania has its own airport (CTA), about 10 minutes from the middle of town.

By car from the centre of Palermo 2h 35m.

There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.

Coming by train into Catania Centrale? Catania is about 14 minutes away by road.

Every town within reach of Catania airport.

Catania — photo 1
Catania — photo 2

What to see

  • Piazza del Duomo + U Liotru

    Vaccarini's 1735 elephant fountain in the central square — a Roman basalt elephant supporting an Egyptian obelisk. The cathedral of Sant'Agata anchors the south side. Both rebuilt post-1693 in lava-and-limestone Baroque.

  • Via dei Crociferi

    Pedestrian Baroque street with four churches in 200 metres — the densest stretch of post-1693 reconstruction. UNESCO World Heritage protected.

  • Etna

    Europe's largest active volcano (3,357 m), an hour from the city by cable car + jeep from Rifugio Sapienza. UNESCO World Heritage in its own right since 2013.

  • Pescheria

    Daily fish market in the streets behind Piazza del Duomo, weekday mornings 7-13. Tuna, swordfish, sea urchins, the Catanese version of pasta alla Norma at the surrounding trattorie.

  • Casa natale di Vincenzo Bellini

    Birthplace and museum of the opera composer (1801-1835), in the heart of the historic centre. Holds his manuscripts and personal effects.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Catania fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

We recommend

Where to eat and stay

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

  • Me Cumpari TuridduBistrot

    Me Cumpari Turiddu carries a Michelin Bib Gourmand, two Gambero Rosso tables, plus a Slow Food snail.

  • Angiò-Macelleria di MareRistorante

    Angiò-Macelleria di Mare holds one Gambero Rosso fork (79/100) and a spot in the Michelin Guide.

  • Concezione RestaurantRistorante

    Concezione Restaurant carries two Gambero Rosso forks (80/100), plus a spot in the Michelin Guide.

  • CoriaRistorante

    Coria carries one Michelin star, plus two Gambero Rosso forks (84/100).

  • Materia | Spazio CucinaRistorante

    Materia | Spazio Cucina has one Gambero Rosso fork (79/100) and a spot in the Michelin Guide.

  • MénageRistorante

    A Gambero Rosso listing for Ménage, and a spot in the Michelin Guide.

  • SapioRistorante

    Sapio has one Michelin star and two Gambero Rosso forks (83/100).

  • La Cucina dei ColoriVegetariano

    A Gambero Rosso listing, at La Cucina dei Colori.

  • Le Tre BoccheRistorante

    Le Tre Bocche carries a Gambero Rosso listing.

  • Uzeta Bistrò sicilianoBistrot

    Two Gambero Rosso tables, at Uzeta Bistrò siciliano.

  • DonnaCarmela Resort & LodgesHotel

    A place in the Michelin hotel guide, at DonnaCarmela Resort & Lodges.

Through the year

What happens here

Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.

Living here

  • Population 298,762
  • A local hubi
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Train station in the comune
  • Nearest airport Catania, 10 min drive
  • Regional capital Palermo, 2 h 35 min drive

Common questions

What is Catania known for?
Sicily's second city and the cultural anchor of the Ionian coast, a UNESCO late-Baroque centro storico rebuilt in lava-black stone after the 1693 earthquake, sitting at the foot of Etna with a 17th-century elephant fountain (U Liotru) as its civic symbol.
Where is Catania?
Catania is a comune in the province of Catania, in Sicily, at 7 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Catania?
Catania has its own airport (CTA), about 10 minutes from the middle of town by car.
Can you get to Catania without a car?
Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
How long is the drive from Palermo to Catania?
About 2h 35m by car.
When is the best time to visit Catania?
Best in Year-round. August is the warmest month, averaging 33 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 9 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Catania?
Yes. Il Mercatino di Borgo Natura, Mercatino 'A Fera Bio and Sagra del Pesce a Ognina - Catania.
Which other towns are like Catania?
Siracusa, Aci Castello and Pachino.
How many people live in Catania?
298,762 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 7 m
  • Population: 298,762
  • Surface area: 182.9 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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