Catania
A splendid Baroque City at the slopes of the Etna, from the eighteenth century on, Catania has been considered the second most important city of Sicily. Subjected to the Etna Vulcan, this town has been damaged by lava flows and earthquakes on several occasions. The city has two Roman amphitheatres, one which was built on a pre-existent Greek one and the other which is a completely Roman structure.
Visit the Ursino Castle, built on the orders of Emperor Frederick II von Hohenstaufen in the first half of the thirteenth century, and now a museum open to the public. The oldest part of the Duomo (Cathedral) dates back to 1092; it hosts the tombs of Frederick III of Aragona, who ruled from 1296-1337, and the one of Constance, wife of Frederick IV of Aragona. Most of Catania’s wide streets and palazzi were built during the eighteenth century, a characteristic is the gray, volcanic stone used in the buildings. This was the period in which noble families from across eastern Sicily, used to build palazzo in Catania, beginning a subtle social and economical rivalry with Palermo. The two most famous citizens are S.Agata, the martyr patroness of the city and Vincenzo Bellini, the opera composer. Stroll through Via dei Cruciferi and visit the churches of S.Benedetto, S.Giuliano and S.Niccolò.
Caltagirone
Once the location of a Saracen fortress, this charming mountain town is famous for its hand made, traditional ceramics. There are many cultural bodies who promote this aspect of the city like the Ceramic School and the Ceramic Museum. Since the earthquake of 1693 the night dedicated to S.Giacomo(24/25 July) has been celebrated with huge images made up of colored lights or 'luminarie' which have to illuminate a staircase. The 'Scala' itself has been used since 1785 and just like ancient times over 4000 sand weighted papers cartons 'coppi' containing terracotta lanterns and the finest of oil are used for the illumination.
Acireale
The Duomo, S.Sebastiano, walk to S.Maria della Scala - a picturesque fishing village.