catania must see

make sure not to miss

Teatro Romano di Catania

The theater is perfectly melted inside the city, surrounded by modern buildings. Most probably it succeeded a more ancient greek theater that has been than converted into a Roman one and used until the VI century, when it was abandoned. From this moment on, the theater was then used to build houses and part of its marbles used to build the cathedral of the city.

Today studies are still conducted to re-discover the original theater, trying to save it from the buildings that surround it. It can be visited, tickets are: 6€ for adults, 3€ for kids. The first Sunday of each month the entry is free.

Monastero dei Benedettini

The monastery is the second biggest in benedectine monastery in Europe (the biggest in Portugal). The monastery was founded in the XVI century by monks living in two different monasteries close to the Etna, that requested to the city to build a monastery within the city walls due to the danger of the Etna mountain and the bandits in the region. Having accumulated a big wealth, the monks managed to build a huge monastery, with its San Nicolò church, which took several centuries to be built. During the earthquake of 1693 the monastery was destroyed and only three monks survived. Even today the facade of the church has not been finished. The monastery, which now belongs to the city and to the University of Catania, today hosts the Literature Faculty and the big university library.

Its rich interiors and courtyards can be visited only with guided tours. The standard tour lasts 75 minutes, everyday from 9 to 17 (in august from 11 to 18). Standard ticket is 7€: http://www.monasterodeibenedettini.it/en/guided-tours/traditional-visit-to-the-benedictine-monastery/

Anfiteatro romano di catania

This theater is the biggest roman amphitheater in Sicily and second only to the colosseum in Rome. It was a very big monument, used from the II century until about the V century. Able to host more than 15.000 people, it used even to showcase naval battles, when the central area was filled with water. Today the most part of the theater is buried under the streets and the buildings of the centre of the city and only a small portion is still visible from the Stesicoro Square, but cannot be visited for security reasons. Like many other ancient construction, after its abandonement, its stones, mainly made from Etna stone, have been used to build other buildings in the city, among which also the city cathedral. Its structural stability has been damaged during the centuries, a danger also for the entire area around the site.

Chiesa di San Benedetto

The Chiesa di San Benedetto, church of Saint Benedict, is a baroque church established in the 14 century during the Aragonese period as the church of the female monastery of Saint Benedict. The Church was destroyed by the 1693 earthquake and rebuilt in the current baroque style, including actions on the facade by the famous architect Vaccarini. During the 18 century the interior of the church has been filled with frescoes depicting the life of Saint Benedict. These frescoes have been restored after the damages made by the bombing of the second world war.

The Church is also famous for the stairway leading to the entrance, called Scalinata degli Angeli, stairway of the angels, due to the many statues of angels decorating it. Next to the church an arch can be seen going above the street Via Crociferi, that connects two parts of the monastery and is the theatrical entrance to the street.

The church is open for the visits every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 to 17, and the first Sunday of each month from 11 to 17.

The entry ticket is 5€ for the church only, or 9€ including a guided tour of the monastery.