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When heard the name Catania, the following foremost names become immediate thoughts: Bellini, Verga, Mount Etna and numerous emblematic edifices amongst which Ursino Castle rings most bells. Home of great composer Vicenzo Bellini and writer Giovanni Verga, Catania resides on the top of the largest Sicilian cities. Right next to Palermo, the 350 000 inhabitants crown Catania with the bays of the second largest city of the island.

The architecture creates a unique view through its black and white range of colors. The overshadowing of unpredictable Etna contributes in amplifying the city’s greatness. Vaccarini’s contribution to the local architecture presently lays ahead the heart of the city: Piazza del Duomo. Bellini is reminisced when facing Fontana dell’Enfante (1735) that recalls the artist’s obelisk from Rome. The Duomo, Palazzo Biscari, the Western district, the local museums, the antic theater, they all represent Catania’s rich past.

Nevertheless, there is one certain edifice that rests unique and always catches the eye. The Ursino castle is a living proof of “be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it”. What Frederik II got was this magnificent construction, built between 1239 and 1250. The castle states certain features that characterize specific times. The year of 1700 created its surrounding walls, designed for protection. The Renaissance also left its fingerprints as the castle was modified according to the current’s innovations.

This part of Sicily has repeatedly been a victim of earthquakes and eruptions. Historical testimonials have been inherently damaged, but it is not all that bad, since most of them led to further, more consistent repairs. The year of 1837 consequently brought the transformation of the construction into a prison.

Its 30 meters high keep from each corner of the square announce a rigorous world that can further be observed as hostess of intact moats and Renaissance windows in the southern area. The interior is well preserved and shelters unique pieces of art. The structures of certain rooms, rib vaults, big ogival arches and decorations are equally impressive and what they do is tell the story that the entrance arch begins.

The statues collection that includes Statue of Aphrodite, Il torso di Eracle (4th century BC), I Gladiatori tells different stories, weather Hellenistic or Roman, that add even more strength to the castle’s portliness.

Mosaic floors are a representation of January and March. Most walls are adorned with paintings such as La Predica (the Sermon) by Agostino Salinas from 1862 and L’Addio (Farewell) by Francesco Michetti (1851- 1929). The 18th century left its marks by means of ivories and bronzes that further enrich the fascination of the castle.

It would be deeply unfair to allude Catania only to the Ursino Castle. The beauty of the city resides in all its small elements that decorate the narrow streets and squares. Catania is exhaustless. Anyone who has at least once visited the city should be well aware of the energy it spreads.