Via Etnea
Catania
Via Etnea is Catania's main street, a long thoroughfare that cuts across the city pointing straight at Etna. Lively with shops, historic cafés and Baroque palaces, it is the heart of the evening stroll and of city life. A lively, scenic stop along the Catanian treasure map.
History
Via Etnea was laid out right after the 1693 earthquake, when Catania's new streets were drawn on a grid starting from the Duomo. Born as a great straight axis heading north, it was originally about 700 metres long and ended at today's piazza Stesicoro; over time it changed name several times before taking that of the volcano, which it frames perfectly.
What to see
Along the street, Baroque palaces, churches, squares and historic cafés follow one another. You pass Piazza del Duomo, the Quattro Canti, Piazza dell'Università with its palaces, Piazza Stesicoro with the remains of the Roman amphitheatre and the Villa Bellini, the city's main garden. The façades in lava stone and pale stone create a striking colour contrast.
Curiosities
Walking north, the street gives you a view of Etna in the background at many points, often snow-capped in winter. Today it is about 3 kilometres long and reaches as far as the Tondo Gioeni. Every February the procession of Sant'Agata, the city's patron saint, passes along it.
How to visit
The first stretch of via Etnea is pedestrianised and easy to walk. It is always open and free. It is the ideal starting point to discover the Baroque centre, go shopping or taste the local pastries and sweets in one of the historic cafés.
