Catania Tourist Attractions Provincial capitalLocationCatania,
situated on level ground halfway along Sicily's eastern coast,
is a provincial capital and the second largest city on the
island after Palermo. It is the seat of an archbishopric and of
a university - the oldest in Sicily. With a cityscape determined
by its many Baroque buildings, both sacred and secular, with its
many monuments from both ancient and more modern times, and not
least its position on the Piana di Catania, a highly fertile
plain between the volcano Mount Etna and the sea, Catania is an
important and rewarding city to visit. In addition it is an
important industrial and commercial city and port, the second
largest in Sicily.Beautiful beaches nearby and the opportunity
to visit both Mount Etna and the many historical sites in
Eastern Sicily add to the attractions of the city for the
holidaymaker.HistoryThe town of Catane was founded by Ionian
Greeks in 729 B.C. on the site of an earlier Sikel settlement.
This was also the time of the f