Catania has suffered volcanic erruptions and earthquakes throughout its history. In the 1600s' Mount Etna errupted and lava flowed into the surrounding sea and then 20 years later a catastrophic earthquake levelled the city.
The rebuilding of the city followed a grid like uniformity and the historic centre is packed with the dominant architecture of that time, Baroque. Very powerful and an inspiration to conform with Catholic belief rather than the protestant alternatives!
There are countless grand facade churches and other insitutional buildings. The Cathedral of St Agatha solidly built to withstand any new earthquakes and a reminder inside of earlier thinner columns which didn't! St Agatha is venerated all around the city and there is a special festival in February when hundreds of thousands of Sicilians return to Catania to celebrate.
Known by some as the 'black and white' city with much black larva stone used in construction. A relatively small section of Roman amphitheatre is now revealed and renovated below the ground level of the newly constructed buildings. A reminder of the many earlier powers which occupied this city.
Overlooking the whole region Mount Etna is active and regularly plumes of ash drift towards the Ionian Sea.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
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