Characterised by an awe-inspiring blend of Italian, east Mediterranean, and North African vivacity, Catania (Sicily) is not to be missed. Its chief attractions, apart from the view of Mount Etna rising menacingly at the far end of Via Etnea, lie in its largely baroque centre-the Duomo, the Collegio Cutelli, the ornate Palazzo Biscari and the vast monastery of the Benedettini beside the huge church of San Nicoḷ. Via dei Crociferi, built on an ancient lava flow, is lined with baroque palaces, churches, and convents, and near it are the ruins of the Roman amphitheatre built from lava.
Standing in the ominous shadow of Mount Etna, Catania is a city of lava. A bustling port opening onto the Ionian Sea, Catania is called the "city of black and white." White plaster and marble and black lava form major parts of its architectural adornment. Catania is the second-largest city in Sicily, with a population of 380,000. It's a lively place, and the seat of a bishop and a great university. In deference to its hometown boy, Vincenzo Bellini (1801-35), Catania boasts one of Italy's grandest opera houses, where you can hear the operas and the eternal arias of this virtuoso composer. Its second hometown boy who made good was Giovanni Verga (1840-1922), acclaimed as Italy's greatest writer after Manzoni. Known for his naturalistic fiction, he wrote such masterpieces as Vita dei Campi and Mastro Don Gesualdo.
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