Page 168 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sicily

166  SICIL Y AREA B Y AREA

1 Catania Catania Town Centre
1 Palazzo Biscari
Situated between the Ionian Sea and the slopes of Mount 2 Piazza Duomo
Etna, Sicily’s second city (a UNESCO World Heritage site) has 3 Cathedral
always had a close relationship with the volcano, and most 4 Badia di Sant’Agata
of its buildings are made from black lava. According to the 5 Museo Civico Belliniano
ancient historian Thucydides, the city was founded in 729 BC 6 Teatro Bellini
by Greek colonists from Chalcis (see p160). Since then it has 7 Pescheria
been flooded with lava and shaken by earthquakes, most 8 Via Crociferi
radically in 1693, when it was razed to the ground. Catania 9 Roman Theatre
today is the result of 18th-century rebuilding: broad, straight 0 Castello Ursino
streets and large, unevenly shaped squares, a precaution q Museo Verga
w San Nicolò all’Arena
against earthquakes.
e Via Etnea
P Palazzo Biscari
Via Museo Biscari, Via Dusmet.
Tel 095-715 2508 or 321 818. Open by
appt. ∑ palazzobiscari.com
This is the largest private palazzo
in 18th-century Catania. PIAZZA VIA XX SETTEMBRE
Construction was begun by ROMA
Prince Paternò Castello on VIALE REGINA MARGHERITA
an embankment of the
16th-century city walls. VIA MOROSOLI V I A E T N E A VIA GROTTE BIANCHE VIA G. FELICE
Work continued for nearly a V I A U M B E R T O I
Villa
century and involved some Bellini PIAZZA VITT.
EMANUELE II
of the leading architects VIA ANDRONE V I A C A P U A N A
of the time. The most VIA F. CORRIDONI V I A G . V E R D I V I A M . V E N T I M I G L I A
interesting side of the V I A S A L V A T O R E T O M A S E L L I Teatro PIAZZA
building faces Via Dusmet, Metropolitan VIA PACINI ALBERTO
CARLO
with a large terrace decorated VIA PACINI VIA G. BRUNO V I A F. C R I S P I
with putti, telamons and VIA R. ROMANA Market Bus V I A L E D E L L A L I B E R T À
Terminal
garlands sculpted by VIA S. EUPLIO VIA S. GAETANO VIA TEOCRITO PIAZZA V I A D ' A M I C O
Antonino Amato. The ALLA GROTTA GRENOBLE V I A A R C H I M E D E
building is partly private Anfiteatro PIAZZA C O R S O S I C I L I A PIAZZA DELLA
and partly used as city VIA PLEBISCITO Romano STESICORO REPUBBLICA C OR S O M AR TI R I D EL LA LIB E R TÀ
administrative offices. VIA PIAZZA V I A L . S T U R Z O PIAZZA
Sant’Agata al MONTESANO SPIRITO CAPPELLINI
SANTO
Cárcere V I A G . D I P R I M A VIA MARCH. DI CASALOTTO PIAZZA
PAPA
GIOVANNI XXIII
P Piazza Duomo Train
The heart of city life lies V I A C R O C I F E R I V I A E T N E A Station
at the crossing of Via V I A C L E M E N T I
Etnea and Via Vittorio San Giuliano V I A A N T O N I O D I S A N G I U L I A N O V I A V I I A P R I L E
Emanuele. The square PIAZZA VIA GESUITI Collegiata PIAZZA
DANTE
boasts many fine San Nicolò Benedetto PIAZZA Badia di Teatro BELLINI VIA TEATRO MASSIMO
San
UNIVERSITÀ
Baroque buildings: l’Arena Roman Municipio Sant'Agata Bellini PIAZZA
DEI
Palazzo del Municipio VIA TEATRO GRECO Theatre Museo Civico VIA VITTORIO EMANUELE II MÁRTIRI
Odeion
(the Town Hall), the Belliniano Cathedral VIA MUSEO
former Chie rici VIA VITTORIO EMANUELE II PIAZZA Museo BISCARI
Museo
PIAZZA
PIAZZA
Seminary, the Verga MAZZINI DUOMO Diocesano DIGENOVA VIA SAN GAETANO VIA DUSMET
DUCA
Cathedral and Porta Pescheria Pacini Palazzo
Villa
Biscari
Porta
Uzeda, the city gate V I A G A R I B A L D I VIA AUTERI PIAZZA Uzeda BORSELLINO
CURRÒ
PIAZZA
built in 1696 to connect VIA TRANSITO
Via Etnea with the port
PIAZZA
area. In the middle is the V I A N A U M A C H I A FEDERICO
DI SVEVIA
Fontana dell’Elefante, VIA CRISTOFORO
a well-known fountain Castello VIA FORNACIAI COLOMBO
Ursino
sculpted in 1736 by V I A G R I M A L D I
Giovanni Battista Vaccarini. V I A P L E B I S C I T O
Airport
On a pedestal in the basin 6.5 km (4 miles)
is an elephant made of lava, 0 metres 300
on the back of which is
an Egyptian obelisk with a 0 yards 300
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp204–5 and pp216–17
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