Six monuments, a historic market, an underground river and Catania's finest boulevard. A complete guide with history, opening hours, curiosities and links to guided tours.
Piazza Duomo has been the beating heart of Catania since 1736. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002 together with seven other towns of the Sicilian Baroque, it holds some of Sicily's most significant buildings.
Centre of Piazza Duomo · By Giovanni Battista Vaccarini
The Elephant Fountain is the quintessential symbol of Catania, featured on the city's coat of arms and affectionately known to locals as «u Liotru» — a dialect term derived from the name of the wizard Heliodorus, to whom legend attributes magical powers over the animal.
At the centre of the octagonal white marble fountain stands an elephant carved from Etna lava basalt, bearing a 2nd-century AD Egyptian obelisk topped by a cross and a globe with a palm and phoenix. The fountain was commissioned by the Senate of Catania and designed by Vaccarini in 1736, five years after the earthquake that had levelled the city.
The elephant has been considered Catania's symbolic animal since antiquity: some theories trace the city's very name to the Greek «Katane», linked to the Phoenician «qtn» (small), but the bond with the elephant remains one of the city's most cherished traditions.
Piazza Duomo · Baroque architecture · G.B. Vaccarini
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Sant'Agata Virgin and Martyr is Catania's main place of worship and one of the finest examples of Sicilian Baroque. The original building was erected by the Normans in 1093; destroyed by the 1693 earthquake, it was completely rebuilt to a design by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini.
The majestic three-tier façade — white marble with grey granite columns salvaged from Roman-era structures — is regarded as Vaccarini's masterpiece. Inside, the Chapel of Sant'Agata holds the relics of the city's patron saint, carried in procession every year on 3-5 February during one of Italy's most attended religious festivals.
In the right-hand nave lies the tomb of composer Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835), born in Catania and celebrated worldwide for works such as «Norma» and «I Puritani».
North side of Piazza Duomo · Seat of Catania's Town Hall
Palazzo degli Elefanti — named after the elephant reliefs, the city's symbol, adorning its façade — is the seat of Catania's Town Hall and one of the most imposing civic buildings of the Sicilian Baroque.
Built in the 17th century and reworked several times over the following centuries, the palace faces the north side of Piazza Duomo with a façade of remarkable elegance. The contrast between the white marble of the decorations and the black lava stone of the base is a hallmark of Catania's architecture, found in almost every historic building in the city.
From the palace's central balcony, the Mayor of Catania traditionally appears during the city's most important festivities, in particular the celebrations for Sant'Agata.
Via Plebiscito · Reached from the Amenano Fountain
The Pescheria fish market — known in dialect as «A Fera o Luni» (the Monday Fair) — is one of Italy's liveliest and most photographed historic markets. It takes place every morning in the square behind the Amenano Fountain, at the foot of the steps that descend from Piazza Duomo.
The experience is purely sensory: vendors calling out, the smell of the sea, tuna split in half, glistening fresh squid, sparaceddi (wild broccoli shoots), Sicilian blood oranges and huge piles of sea urchins. It's not just a market: it's a daily show that reveals the soul of Catania better than any guidebook.
The Pescheria food tour is one of the most loved experiences among visitors to Catania: with a local guide you explore the stalls, taste the produce and discover the market's centuries-old history.
Piazza Duomo (east side) · Catania's underground river
The Amenano Fountain, created by sculptor Tito Angelini in 1867, is fed by the river of the same name, which runs entirely underground beneath Catania's historic centre. Locals affectionately call it «acqua 'o liotru» — the elephant's water — and the fountain is regarded as the symbolic gateway to the city's underground world.
From the fountain, a flight of steps leads down to the Pescheria fish market: it's one of Catania's most photographed spots, especially early in the morning when vendors are setting up their stalls and the water flows quietly into the circular basin.
Anyone visiting underground Catania — the lava caves and Roman aqueducts running beneath the city — ideally starts here, close to the river that shaped the topography of the modern city.
From Piazza Duomo to Giardino Bellini · Catania's main artery
Via Etnea is Catania's main artery: three kilometres of Baroque monumental boulevard running from Piazza Duomo north to Giardino Bellini, with an unmatched view of Mount Etna rising on the horizon on clear days.
Along the way stand some of the finest churches of the Sicilian Baroque: the Collegiata (Santa Maria dell'Elemosina), San Michele Arcangelo, San Filippo Neri, all the way to the Basilica of Sant'Agata al Borgo. Every crossroads reveals noble courtyards, carved portals and wrought-iron balconies typical of 18th-century Catania style.
Via Etnea is also the city's shopping street and home to its historic cafés: Caffè del Duomo, Savia, Pasticceria Spinella — places where granita with brioche is a daily ritual, not a tourist souvenir.
Opening hours, access and our tips to make the most of Piazza Duomo.
Walking tours, Cathedral visits, Pescheria food tours, underground Catania. With a certified local guide and free cancellation.
Baroque monuments, historic markets, Etna on the horizon. Book your experience and start right here.
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