Day 1 - Catania

Welcome to Sicily and welcome to Catania airport! Get ready to reach the Hotel aboard the most characteristic car of the holidays in full Italian style!

Welcome firstly to Catania! If you want to know something about the city, here is a suggested audiotour from izi.TRAVEL! As you will see, Catania is an incredible city, which in the past was able to survive to dozens of tragedies, from eruptions to earthquakes. The most terrible one was the 1693, which destroyed many cities and villages in the south-east corner of the island. But, again, Catania was able to wipe up and rebuild itself more beautiful than before, becoming a unique Baroque town, declared as a World Heritage Site in the UNESCO list. Despite everything, there are many archaeological remains of the city, first Greek and then Roman, which was certainly one of the most beautiful Roman cities in southern Italy. We will discover together the remains of its theater!

Welcome to the Hotel! Put down your luggage, make yourself comfortable wearing comfortable shoes, sunglasses and a nice straw hat: here we boast beautiful sunny days!

Stop and enjoy the view from the steps of the theater and breathe the history around you!
Covered by houses from the Middle Ages to the present day, undermined several times by the earthquake and then the subject of demanding restorations and systematic excavations for 35 years. In Catania, the archaeological complex of the Greek-Roman theater and the odeon unforeseenly reveals itself among the buildings in Vittorio Emanuele II Street, like a precious gem that re-emerges from oblivion in all its grandeur. If you want to better imagine how it would appeared in the Roman times, here is a 3D reconstruction!

Make a stop to savor the creative Sicilian cuisine inside a "buatta", what in Sicilian dialect is the tin container that contains exquisite traditional foods and more! Buatta, in this case, is therefore a collector of ideas, of Italian culinary excellence, of recipes prepared calmly and offered in an impeccable way. To all this, combine the highest quality craft beers, a youthful and creative atmosphere and raw materials that enhance the strong flavors of the largest island in Italy.

Talking about theatres...here is the modern theatre in Catania, which is a wonderful example of elegance and acoustic perfection! If you want to see it inside, here is a 360° photo easy to browse!

Breathe in timeless elegance! Make a stop at the most important private palace in Catania and a precious testimony of the Sicilian Baroque. The frescoed halls full of charm and elegance, represent a splendid setting for concerts, meetings, receptions, gala evenings, fashion shows and much more! I want to tell you the real history of this place: this was the location of the 18th century Biscari Museum, set in a portion of the very famous Biscari Palace, where the Prince of Biscari, who was an archaeologist and an art lover in general, was used to collect all his naturalistic and archaeological collections! Here came some of the most important personalities during the 17th e 18th centuries!

Get your camera ready! The Cathedral of Sant’Agata, the cathedral of the city of Catania, is one of the places of worship most frequented by visitors from all over Italy but above all by the people of Catania, devoted to the saint, martyr and protector of the city. You cannot fail to visit her!

Keep looking up! The statue of the elephant symbol of the city of Catania is the gnomon of the sundial placed in the center of Piazza Duomo. The monument measures time with the light of the sun and is therefore "heliotric", in the dialect of Catania became "liotru"! If you want to discover more about the myths of Catania, here is a iz.TRAVEL suggested audiotour!

Continue your walk with the rustle of the fountain in the middle of the green! The Pacini garden is one of the two oldest gardens in the city and one of the four main parks in Catania.

Make a short stop at the hotel and then, a dip in the Catania nightlife!

Take a seat and enjoy the Catanese gastronomic specialities in a typical location, in the center!

Relax with a late evening drink in an environment that is the right mix of vintage and modern!

Rest for a while in the hotel: Taormina tomorrow is waiting for you!