Catania never was by nature a hegemonic city, instead an operating economic and trading center,
a meeting point for people and cultures.
But never, even supinely, condescending toward the invaders.
To those that respected its identity was shown appreciation and loyalty (in the case of the
Aragonese Kings); for bad rulers, Catania knew how to react and rebel.

 

Catania, in the course of 2700 years of history, ( its foundations goes back to 730 bc), has lived
times of splendour.
In the Roman age Catania was a flourishing city that built an amphitheatre that for its size
was second after the Coliseum.
During the Normand, Swabian and Aragonese domination’s were constructed royal residences and for about a century was the capital of a Kingdom.

At that historical moment the city was considered an important and strategic stronghold for Frederick II of Swabia who had dreams to bring the center of his empire to the Mediterranean, and who ordered the construction of Castello Ursino.
 

Alfonso de Aragón chose Catania to found the first University of Studies of Sicily,
(among the first of Italy) in 1434, and it was a cultural reference point of the time.

Catania over time has been under Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Normand, Swabian, Angiovine,  Aragonese, and Spanish control, therefore, an open and tolerant city.

But above all Catania can be considered a symbol of revival, many times destroyed by the forces
of nature - its Volcano, earthquakes- and by conquerors. Catania was more than once ransacked and plundered to the limit. And many times reborn from the rubble with perseverance and courage.

Today the visitor will see a baroque city, redesigned by renowned architects after the
earthquake of 1693.

Again a new revival is in progress, after years of moral and physical decadence.

And it is a pleasure to be a witness of this revival.

 

(traduzione gentilmente realizzata  dalla dott.ssa Carolina Parker)

(the photocomposition has been donated by the artist Alfio Messina)