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This street is mostly car free. At least no normal traffic. Every evening people are flocking down that street to see and be seen. Nice walk among the many shops and old, grand buildings.
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Date of experience: October 2020
1 Helpful vote
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This street was created with an eruption. The nicest buildings in Catania are located along Via Etnea. Also, plenty of shops and places to eat.
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Date of experience: October 2020
1 Helpful vote
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We enjoyed looking around the many shops on offer down Via Etnea. The street also has plenty of cafes, restaurants and bars too.
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Date of experience: September 2020
2 Helpful votes
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+1
The name of the main street of Catania is very different from other cities in Italy, where it is usually Corso Vittorio Emanuele or via Garibaldi. However, with all due respect to Garibaldi, Etna was more important to Catania. It was both a nurse (the volcanic soil is the most fertile) and a killer, as in 1693, when a volcanic eruption led to the death of 2/3 of the inhabitants of Catania. Paradoxically, it was this eruption that gave rise to via Etnea. Medieval cities with their chaotic buildings didn`t know such wide streets like this street. Either the local Baron Osman, or Mussolini, or an earthquake could demolish private homes and pave wide avenues. The idea to build wide perpendicular streets belongs to the Duke of Camastra, who was sent on a mission to reconstruct Catania destroyed by an earthquake on January 11, 1693. Along the main street leading to the terrible Etna, 7 churches and palaces of the city's nobles were built. The procession honoring the patron Saint of Catania, St. Agatha, starts from the Church of Sant'agata al Borgo, and ends in the Cathedral of Her name. Many of the buildings here were designed by the chief architect of Catania Vaccarini. Vaccarini owns the authorship of the facade of the Cathedral. Moving further North, we come to The University square. Vaccarini designed here the Palace of San Giuliano and the courtyard of the University opposite. There are interesting sculptural groups on the square. The first group is about the Pia brothers who escaped during the eruption of Etna. They successfully overtook the lava, but their parents started to fall behind. They put them on their shoulders. The lava began to catch up with them, but did not engulf them, but split into two arms and rounded them, paying tribute to their loyalty. Another column is dedicated to the legend of the paladin Uzet, who defeated the Saracen giant Ursini, after whom the castle of Catania is named. The third pillar is dedicated to the legendary fisherman Colapse. The Emperor Frederick tested the Sicilian ichthyander's ability to find treasures under water. During the third test Colapse saw that Sicily stands on three pillars, one of which is quite worn out. He stood up like an Atlantean instead of a pillar. The fourth column is dedicated to a girl named Gammazita, who saved her honor in a confrontation with a French soldier by throwing herself into a well. moving further to Etna on the left side you will see an unusual Basilica della Collegata with a concave Baroque facade. The 3-kilometer via Etnea ended earlier at Piazza Stesicoro. The city gate of Catania was located here. A monument to the local composer Bellini adorns the square. The entrance to Villa Bellini is located further along the road. Moving further towards Etna, you will see the Botanical garden and the Church of Sant'Agata al Borgo, where the procession dedicated to Saint Agatha begins. This is a local via Dolorosa only dedicated not to Christ, but to Agatha. Along the way, the procession will visit the Church of Sant'agata la Vetere where St. Agata tied a shoelace on the way to prison, the Church of Sant'Agata al Carcere, where Agata was imprisoned and the Church of Sant'Agata alla Fornace, where according to legend the Saint was tortured with hot coals. However, this path does not follow via Etnea. The way along via Etnea is a visit to many (about 100) restaurants, cafes and bars. However I was under the impression that the locals prefer the restaurants around the castle of the Ursini.…
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Date of experience: July 2019
2 Helpful votes
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It is a street with lots of shops for clothes, several restaurants and coffee bars. At one end of the street is mountain Etna, at the other end is the fish market and the port. Strangely, I didn't see supermarkets anywhere during my walks..
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Date of experience: December 2019
2 Helpful votes
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