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LOCATION

Located in a privileged position for a 3-star hotel of Catania, Hotel Savona is on the very centrally situated Via Vittorio Emanuele II at 20 meters from Piazza Duomo, in the very heart of the city and among splendid examples of Baroque architecture such as the Duomo, Palazzo degli Elefanti (City Hall) and Palazzo dei Chierici with the very original Elephant Fountain at the center. It is from this suggestive setting -the sea as backdrop and in the distance, the Aetna dominating the landscape-, that start the itineraries to discover Baroque Catania, the theaters and marionettes, classical music, and the many restaurants and spots of the center and of the coastal road that from sunset to the wee hours of dawn provide entertainment for the famous Catania scene.

One itinerary can start from Piazza Duomo, where you must visit the Duomo, a homage of art and devotion by the people of Catania to Agata, the Patron Saint. Every year, during February 3 to 5 she is celebrated with a suggestive procession that gets the whole city involved. Reconstructed with a beautiful Baroque facade after the earthquake of 1693 which flattened the city, the Duomo houses the relics of the Saint among exquisite chapels and altars and also many tombs, such as the ones of Vincenzo Bellini and Constance of Aragon. At the center of the Piazza, the characteristic Elephant Fountain, “U Liotru” for the Catanese, is a symbol of the city. This statue, with an Egyptian obelisk on top, is thought to be of Roman origin by some, while others think it is Byzantine. According to legend it represents the pachyderm that saved the city from the lava of the Aetna in very remote times. It would be worth your while to go to Porta Uzeda, once the main entrance to the city, and also to the Fontana dell’Amenano where you will find the very colorful and picturesque Pescheria (Fish market). You go back a little and the stroll continues on Via Vittorio Emanuele II where you will see on one side the Badia di Sant’Agata, another beautiful example of the Baroque, while on the other side stands the grandiose Roman Theater dating from the 2nd century A.D, with a capacity of up to 7,000 spectators and located just next to the Odeon.

The most spectacular Catania is without any doubt the Baroque one, with the itinerary continuing on along the beautiful Via Etnea (the old Via Uzeda) where among palazzos and churches from the 18th century, you will also find many boutiques and bakeries making for a very pleasant stroll: here you will admire Palazzo dell’Università and Palazzo di Sangiuliano, Basilica Collegiata and the Chiesa dei Minoriti, all built in the 18th century. By turning right on via Sangiuliano you will come across Via Crociferi. This is the epitome of the Baroque, magnificent palaces are followed by churches that have rounded facades and are very heavily decorated, making for a most unique itinerary. The most distinctive are Palazzo Asmundo Francia – Nava and the Church of San Giuliano, masterpieces by Vaccarini, the architect responsible for the Baroque style of Catania. Once you go beyond the Arco di San Benedetto you come upon Piazza San Francesco d’Assisi with the church of the same name and the great monument to Cardinal Dusmet. At number 3 of the Piazza that is kitty corner with Via Vittorio Emanuele II (at 100 meters from Hotel Savona!) the Palazzo Gravina Cruyllas is the site of the Museo Belliniano, a homage to the city's most loved son, the great composer Vincenzo Bellini, to whom the splendid Massimo Bellini Theater is also dedicated (at 5 minutes from the hotel), one of the most prestigious of Sicily and Italy. At 100 meters, in Via Sant’Anna, to the side of Via Vittorio Emanuele, there is another House-Museum dedicated to another great citizen from Catania, the writer Giovanni Verga.