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Catania - Piazza del Duomo

Piazza del Duomo is the heart of the old city of Catania. Stands the little elephant made of lava stone, undisputed symbol of the city, bristling with the baroque fountain of Vaccarini in 1736 wanted to remake the most famous Roman fountain of Minerva. The sculpture dates back to Roman times and brings back an Egyptian obelisk with hieroglyphic inscriptions on the cult of the goddess Isis. The obelisk, in turn, is surmounted by a sphere and the insignia of St. Agatha. The square was redesigned after the devastating earthquake of 1693 on the site of the former audience hall, in a spectacular theatrical context: around the fountain is, first of all, Palace of the Elephants with pilasters and rusticated facade, Vaccarini (1732-50) , and Palazzo dei Chierici beehive with lava stone facade, connected via the Port Uzeda Cathedral. Entrance to Via Garibaldi is the fountain dell'Amenano (1868) which collects the waters of the underground river. The Cathedral, dedicated to St. Agatha Equipped ecclesia, dominates unchallenged. This is a building built on the ruins of ancient Roman baths and composed of parts belonging to different historical periods: the transept and apses, in fact, dating back to Norman times (1086-1094), parts of columns and towers (now attached to the façade ) are Swabian, but the three-nave baroque interior of the first 700 are due to Jerome Palazzolo, and the front elevation and the left are the work of the relocation of Vaccarini (1734), and finally the bell tower and dome back to the middle of 800. Inside you can admire the chapel of St. Agatha, patron saint of the city, with the relics, and the chapel with the tombs of Aragonese viceroy. Via Garibaldi starts from Piazza Duomo to get to the picturesque market of the Fish, and is closed west of the Porta Garibaldi, elegant work from 1768 by Stefano Ittar with layers of lava rock and limestone. Along the way there are some of the most beautiful eighteenth-century palaces and churches of the same period. Piazza Mazzini, the stops with its balustrades, porticos supported by columns from a Roman basilica. Corner of Via Sant'Anna you can find the entrance to what was once the home of Giovanni Verga, where the writer spent his childhood (born in Vizzini, in 1740) and where he died and today is a museum with objects and memories. Ursino Castle is one of the few examples of the Swabian survived the eruption of the late seventeenth century. It is a powerful linear as a defensive bulwark built by Frederick II, before the lava would change the geography of the area, embraced by the sea on a promontory. Quadrangular, with four cylindrical towers 30m high, the castle offers a portal with pointed arch surmounted by the Swabian clawing a hare. The building has undergone several renovations over the centuries after the expulsion of the Aragonese castle is renovated to become an army barracks, while during the sixteenth century was surrounded by walls. Today the castle houses the civic museum which contains archaeological greek-Roman works of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque, also guns, coins, jewelry and furniture works. Via Vittorio Emanuele crosses the city from east to west. It was once called Via del Corso and the races took place there with the horses. From the street leads to the Roman theater built on a greek theater and auditorium with a large set against the acropolis, close to it are the remains of the Odeon. Still along Vittorio Emanuele is the church of the abbey of St. Agatha's Vaccarini, perhaps his masterpiece (1735-67). This is a beautiful example of baroque style that has curved facade, a Greek cross, and crossing of the arms on an octagonal drum, a majestic dome. The white stucco, in contrast with the yellow marble altars and beautiful marble floors, white and gray. Just beyond stands the late Baroque church of San Placido ITTA (1769), the church of Sant'Agata in Skiing (1729) and Trinity Church. with a concave facade and bell Battle of the bulb, and later the convent of St. Augustine and the college Cultelli (1750) more ITTA. Biscari Palace, overlooking Via Dusmet, an old waterfront, and is one of the outstanding examples of Catanese baroque palace. The palace belonged to the principles Paterno Castle was home to a long and important archaeological collection in the Museum then merged. Guttadauro Palace is also located below the Reburdone of Battle (1776). Via Crociferi collects the best examples of monastic architecture, majestic and triumphant in a theory: first of all the Benedictine abbeys of the Arc (remarkable the Library), then the church of St. Benedict, the Church of St. Francis Borgia or Jesuits Today Art Institute, with beautiful courtyards including a Vaccarini, the church of San Giuliano, again with a convex façade of Vaccarini and majestic altar. Piazza Dante in the church of St. Nicholas, Battle of unfinished work, and an interior dome ITTA valuable thanks to the figures of the zodiac sundial with the work of the Danish sculptor Thorvaldsen. Also on the square is the former monastery of St. Nicholas Arena or Benedictine, now universities.

The municipal district of Catania is in the region/district of Sicily and it's in the province of Catania. the postcode is 95100 and the code number is +39 095. Inhabitants are 306.464 and the surface is about 180 km², with a density of population about 1.694 people for km². Distance: from Rome 536 km, from Florence 766 km and from Venice 917 km.

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Information Catania

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