Things to do in Ionian Coast
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Centro Ippico Amico del Cavallo
This well-run stable is 8km west of Catania. Horse trails include a seven-hour trek through Etna farmland, a two-day trek along the Simeto river and a five-day trek around the summit. For other stables pick up the booklet Itinerari a Cavallo from the tourist office in Catania.
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Acquaterra
Excellent guided tours around the northern side of the volcano, where you see a different volcanic landscape.
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Funivia dell'Etna
Funivia dell'Etna runs a cable car from Rifugio Sapienza (1923m) up the mountain to 2500m. (The ticket office accepts credit cards and cash.) Once out of the cable car you can attempt the long walk (3½ to four hours return) up the winding track to the authorised crater area (2920m). If you plan on doing this, make sure you leave yourself enough time to get up and down before the last cable car.
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Chiesa di San Nicolò all'Arena
Directly opposite Chiesa di San Giuliano is the tiny Via Gesuiti, which leads west to Piazza Dante and Sicily's largest church, the Chiesa di San Nicolò all'Arena. Commissioned in 1687, work on the building was interrupted by the earthquake of 1693 and then by problems with its size - it is 105m long, 48m wide and its cupola is 62m high. The church was never completed. It has a terribly ugly façade, a stark contrast to the rich embellishments that adorn the city's other baroque structures. Directly behind the church and part of the same complex is the massive Benedictine Monastero di San Nicolò all'Arena, built in 1703 and now part of the city's university. It is the seco…
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Piano Provenzano
Before the 2001-03 eruptions, Piano Provenzano was Etna's main ski resort. The eruptions changed all that - the refuge, five ski lifts, ski runs and hotels were all swept away in a huge lava flow. On your way up you can see how the lava flattened the trees that line its edges at peculiar angles.
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Isola Bella
To the right of the beach, Lido Mazzarò, past the Sant'Andrea hotel and round the cape is the miniscule Isola Bella set in a stunning cove. You can walk here in a few minutes but it is more fun to rent a small boat from Mazzarò to paddle round Capo Sant'Andrea. Isola Bella was bought by Florence Trevelyan for a mere 5000 lire. It is her house that you can see on the island. Now it is run as a nature reserve by the World Wildlife Fund and the craggy base is a wonderful snorkelling spot.
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Cathedral
The Norman cathedral is one of the most attractive in Sicily despite having been stricken by one disaster after another. Built in 1150, it suffered its first mishap in 1254 at the funeral of Conrad IV (son of Frederick II), when a mass of candles set the church on fire. Devastating earthquakes in 1783 and 1908, and a WWII incendiary bomb in 1943, put paid to the rest. True to their patrician nature, the Messinese rebuilt it faithfully in the style of the original basilica, complete with its mosaic apses. The lovely stripy marble inlay, the tracery of the facade and the Catalan-Gothic portal with its sculpted columns are some of the few original elements that were salvaged…
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Fontana dell'Elefante
In the centre of the piazza is the city's most memorable monument, the smiling Fontana dell'Elefante (Fountain of the Elephant; 1736). This comical statue is composed of a naive elephant, dating from the Roman period, surmounted by an improbable Egyptian obelisk. The elephant, with its upturned trunk, is known locally as Liotru and is the symbol of the city.
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Odeon
Catania also has a number of Roman remains dotted throughout the city. West along Via Vittorio Emanuele II is the Roman theatre and a small rehearsal theatre, the Odeon, both closed for restoration at the time of research. North of Piazza del Duomo, more leftovers from Roman days include a modest Roman amphitheatre on Piazza Stesicoro. For relief from the madding crowd, continue north along Via Etnea to the lovely gardens of Villa Bellini with its views of Mt Etna.
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Roman Amphitheatre
The western side of the large and modern Piazza Stesicoro is dominated by the sunken remains of the Roman amphitheatre. It doesn't look like much today, but in around the 2nd century BC it could seat up to 16,000 spectators and was second in size only to the Colosseum in Rome. What you see from the street is only a part of the once-massive structure, which extended as far south as Via Penninello. You can explore part of the vaults and get an idea of the true size of the theatre from a diagram.
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Bar Turrisi
[ourpick] Bar Turrisi A few kilometres outside Taormina, in the hilltop community of Castelmola, this whimsical bar is built on four levels overlooking the church square. Its decor is an eclectic tangle of Sicilian influences, with everything from painted carts to a giant stone minchia (you’ll need no translation once you see it). Sip a glass of almond wine, enjoy the view, and don’t forget to check out the bathrooms on the way out!
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Nievski Pub
Popular with Catania’s alternative crowd, this place serves affordable food and alcohol with a slightly arch attitude (one sign at the bar translates as, ‘we don’t serve minors, and we don’t serve Red Bull or other crap like that’). Cuban revolutionary posters adorn the walls, while the menu is an eclectic mix of salads, vegetarian fare and fish brought in daily from La Pescheria market. At night the beer flows freely as students gather on the steps outside.
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Teatro Greco
Teatro Greco is Taormina’s premier attraction. This perfect horseshoe-shaped theatre, suspended between sea and sky, was built in the 3rd century BC and is the second largest in Sicily (after Syracuse), and the most dramatically situated Greek theatre in the world. In summer the theatre is used as the venue for the international arts festival, Taormina Arte. In peak season the site is best explored early in the morning to avoid the crowds.
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Chiesa di San Giuliano
The Chiesa di San Giuliano (1738-51), designed by Vaccarini, is about halfway up Via Crociferì. The convex central façade makes for an interesting effect. Further on you'll notice the excavations that have resulted in the whole street being closed off to traffic: here, at the crossroads with Via Antonino di Sangiuliano, a section of the old Roman road and a sizable floor mosaic have been uncovered. You can peer over the boarding to take a look.
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Castello Ursino
If you walk south from Piazza del Duomo, through the impressive Porta Uzeda (built in 1696) and down to Piazza Federico di Svevia, you'll come across the imposing fortifications of the 13th-century Castello Ursino, built by Frederick II. The grim-looking fortress, surrounded by a moat, was once on a cliff top overlooking the sea; following the earthquake of 1693 the whole area to the south was reclaimed by the lava and the castle became landlocked.
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Cathedral
Facing the statue is Catania’s other defence against Mt Etna, St Agata’s cathedral, with its impressive marble facade. Inside the cool, vaulted interior lie the remains of the city’s patron saint, the young virgin Agata, who resisted the advances of the nefarious Quintian (AD 250) and was horribly mutilated. The saint’s jewel-drenched effigy is ecstatically venerated on 5 February in one of Sicily’s largest feste.
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Le Ciminiere
Le Ciminiere is a renovated sulphur refinery building. The renovation involved transforming the refineries into a cultural centre while preserving their original character - a bit like the Tate Modern in London. It houses a collection of modern art and a permanent exhibition of WWII memorabilia, art and photography. Enquire at the tourist office about temporary exhibitions and cultural events, or pick up the Lapis leaflet.
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Treasury
Several treasures, such as the magnificent Golden Mantle (1668) designed by Innocenzo Mangani as a 'cloak' for the picture of La Madonna della Lettera (The Madonna of the Letter) that now sits on the altar, are kept in the Piazza del Duomo's treasury. The letter the Madonna is supposed to have written was a blessing on the city of Messina, which suffered a terrible famine after converting to Christianity in AD 42.
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Metrò
This Slow Food–recommended eatery prides itself on stylish presentation and innovative adaptations of traditional Sicilian specialities. Their tonno in cipuddata (tuna steak smothered in caramelised onions) is fabulous, as is the dialogo fra il cioccolato e il pistacchio (a slice of sinfully dense chocolate cake topped with a thin layer of cream and accompanied by a dome of pistachio flan).
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Piazza dell'Università
Via Etnea runs from Piazza del Duomo right up through the city and into the foothills of Mt Etna. It is a bright street with lots of shops and cafés, and at its heart is Piazza dell'Università. Facing each other on the square are two buildings designed by Vaccarini - the Palazzo dell'Università to the west and the Palazzo Sangiuliano to the east. The former is the city's university.
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Piazza del Duomo Cathedral
On the eastern side of the Piazza del Duomo is the Piazza del Duomo Cathedral, constructed in the 13th century. It has survived much of the Renaissance remodelling undertaken by the Spanish aristocracy in the 15th century. The piazza itself is home to an ornate baroque fountain dating back to 1635, which sports a two-legged centaur with the bust of an angel, the symbol of Taormina.
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Fontana di Orione
The pale marble Fontana di Orione (1553) depicts a lounging Orion, the mythical founder of Messina. The fountain was constructed by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli (pupil to Michelangelo) to commemorate the construction of Messina's aqueduct - the city's houses were the first in Sicily to receive running water. The figures that adorn it represent the Rivers Tiber, Nile, Ebro and Camaro.
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Tiramisù
This stylish but unpretentious place hidden away just outside Porta Messina makes fabulous meals, from linguine cozze, menta e zucchine (pasta with mussels, mint and courgettes) to old favourites like scaloppine al limone e panna (veal escalope in lemon cream sauce). When dessert rolls around, don’t miss their trademark tiramisu, a perfect ending to any meal here.
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Piazza del Duomo
The 60m campanile houses the world's largest astronomical clock, built in Strasbourg in 1733. The clock strikes at noon, setting in motion a slow-moving procession of bronze automata that have various historical and allegorical meanings (pick up the brochure from the tourist office for an explanation of each one) - watch out for the comical roaring lion and crowing cockerel.
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Arco di San Benedetto
The Arco di San Benedetto is an arch built by the Benedictines in 1704. According to legend, it was built in one night to defy a city ordnance against its construction on the grounds that it was a seismic liability. On the left past the arch is the imposing Chiesa di San Benedetto, built between 1704 and 1713. Inside is some splendid stucco and marble work.
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