Catania

Catania is located on the east coast of the island, at the foot of the active volcano Mount Etna.

The position of Catania at the foot of Mount Etna was the source both of benefits and evils to the city. For on the one hand, the violent outbursts of the volcano occasionally desolated great parts of its territory; on the other, the volcanic ashes made for a soil of great fertility, adapted especially for the growth of vines

The symbol of the city is the Fontana dell'Elefante. It displays an ancient stone elephant which carries an Egyptian obelisk from Syrene. Legend has it that Vaccarini's original elephant was
neutered, which the men of Catania took as an insult to their virility. To appease them, Vaccarini appropriately appended elephantine testicles to the original statue.

It should also be known that the city has been buried under lava at least seven times, and under the layers have been found the remnants of the Roman city, and the Greek city before it. Some of these ruins are of extreme interest and can be visited in the centre: the Greek-Roman theatre from the 2nd centruy; the Odeon (3rd century), which could house up to 1500 spectators; the Amphitheatre, Roman Aquaduct and Forum. And there are also endless churches and basilicas to visit from more modern times, with diverse architecture, some of which combine the antique and Baroque styles.

On the whole Catania is the ideal place for those who have even a taste for history and archeology, and it has more than enough of both to keep anyone intersted.