Cathedral (Pl. E, 5; visible from the sea), begun by the Norman Roger I. with materials from the ancient theatre (p. [161]), but almost entirely destroyed by the earthquake of 1169. In the choir repose the Aragon sovereigns of the 14th cent.; in the right side-apse are treasured the remains of St. Agatha, who, like St. Rosalia (p. [152]), was one of the most famous saints of Sicily, and whose veil is said to have diverted the lava-stream of 1669 (Pl. B, 1–3) from the city at a point near the Benedictine monastery (see below). Opposite, on the right, is the monument of the viceroy Acuña (d. 1494), quite Spanish in style. By the second pillar on the right is the tomb of Vinc. Bellini, the composer, a native of Catania (1802–35).
In the Piazza del Duomo rises a fountain with an antique elephant in lava, bearing an Egyptian obelisk of granite. Past its N. side runs the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, with the Piazza dei Martiri and the statue of St. Agatha at its E. end (Pl. G, 5). We follow the Corso to the W. to the Via Sant’Agostino, by the church of that name (Pl. D, 5), and here turn to the N. past the entirely altered Roman Odeum (comp. p. [349]) to the Via del Teatro Greco. Here, near the corner on the right, at No. 37, is the entrance to the—
Ancient Theatre (Pl. D, 4, 5; custodian at No. 33; fee 50 c.), once a fine structure, but now so buried in lava that some parts of it can be explored only by candle-light. The foundations alone date from the Greek period.—In the Piazza Dante, a little to the N.W., is the suppressed Benedictine monastery of—
San Nicolò (Pl. C, D, 4), or San Benedetto, dating in its present form from the early 18th cent., with an imposing baroque church. The extensive buildings now contain barracks, a school, the civic museum, the library, and the observatory. The church-tower (entr. through the portal to the S. of the façade; gratuity) commands a panoramic *View of the town, Mt. Ætna, and the Sicilian and Calabrian coasts, which is finest before 9 a.m.
At the Piazza Dante begins the Via Lincoln (Pl. D-F, 4), the second great thoroughfare of the town running W. to E., partly hewn through the lava-stream of 1669. This street is crossed by the—
Via Stesicoro Etnea (Pl. E, 5–1), which intersects the whole town, from the Piazza del Duomo (see above) to the N. end. Here rise the chief public buildings of Catania, the Municipio (Pl. E, 5), the University, and the Prefettura (Pl. E, 4).
Farther to the N. is the Piazza Stesicoro; on its left side is the church of San Cárcere (Pl. E, 3), with an interesting Norman portal brought from the cathedral. Close by the N. part of a Roman Amphitheatre has been laid bare (greater diameter 138, smaller 116 yds.); the unusually large arena (77 by 55 yds.) is second only to that of the Colosseum (94 by 59 yds.).
Still farther to the N., on the left, is the entrance to the Villa Bellini (Pl. E, 2), a public park with fine views.
After returning to the Porto Vecchio we may follow the Via Scuto to the picturesque Castello Ursino (Pl. D, 6), dating from the time of Emp. Frederick II. (after 1239). The quarter to the E. of the castle is almost the only relic of the old town.