Catania, a city founded by the Greeks in 729 BC, has a rich history of cultural heritage of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Swabian, Angevin, Aragonese, Spanish that you will find in its beautiful monuments. The city today, mainly eighteenth century, is the result of reconstruction after the strong earthquake of 1693, Made in the Sicilian Baroque style that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site that in Catania is characterized by the use of dark gray lava stone.
The eight cities that are part of the site, Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli, are located in the south east of Sicily. The site, which represents the culmination of the Baroque in Europe, includes some specific urban areas of Catania.
All of them were rebuilt after the terrible earthquake of 1693, which literally razed entire towns to the ground, completely devastating the urban memory of the area. The current face of this area of the island is therefore the result of a reconstruction of cities thought as works of art, masterpieces of late baroque architecture of the 17th century.
The sumptuous and elegant palaces, churches with precious interiors and stunning inlaid facades, urban plots woven in a unique style, They make this area of south-eastern Sicily an exceptional example of architectural influence on the territory and represent one of the greatest expressions in the world of the European Late Baroque.
For further information visit the official UNESCO
website (https://www.unesco.it/it/PatrimonioMondiale/Detail/137)