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Saturday, October 15, 2022
In the morning we went out and did some grocery shopping. We had planned to meet my sister at the airport this afternoon and wanted to be stocked up. Her flight from JFK to Rome got in over an hour early which meant she was able to get an earlier connecting flight to Catania. We had intended to take the bus to the airport but since she was coming earlier we didn’t have the time so we just took an UBER. The driver turned out to be a great guy. His English was almost as bad as our Italian. We had fun trying to have a conversation.
We arrived at the airport around 10:00 am. The flight we were waiting on was scheduled to land at 10:30 am. We asked the driver if he wanted to stick around and drive us back. He was happy to oblige. He gave me his phone number and said to message him on WhatsApp when we were ready. By 10:35 am we were back in the car and heading back into town.
Lauren had been traveling for the better part of two days. She was tired but still wanted to see some of the city. We walked over to Piazza del Duomo and got an early lunch at a cafe we’d eaten at several times. Afterwards we visited the cathedral, walked through the main shopping district, and spend some time perusing the outdoor markets. After a tour of some of the sights she would be seeing in the next few days we went back to the apartment. For dinner we found a nice outdoor restaurant near the apartment. Lauren and Deborah had pizzas (surprisingly they were Neapolitan style) and I had spaghetti with clams. We were all a little tired and wound up getting to sleep on the early side.
Sunday, October 16, 2022
We had a leisurely breakfast in the apartment because Ursino Castle didn’t open until 10:00 am. The castle was built in the mid 13th century as a royal palace for Emperor Frederick II, King of Sicily. After the capital was moved from Catania the castle was no longer an important military site and was used as a prison. It is one of the few buildings that was not destroyed in the earthquake of 1693. Originally the castle was positioned on a cliff overlooking the sea. Because of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes the castle is now located about half a mile from the shoreline. At one time the moat was completely filled with lava. By 1934 the castle had been transformed into a museum housing mainly Sicilian art. Entry to the castle costs €10.00 per person. Credit cards are accepted. The lowest section of the castle features high ceilings supported by ribbed vaults. On display we saw artifacts from the Greek and Roman settlements dating from the first century BC to the third century AD consisting mostly of marble statues and high relief carvings.
The second floor contained a large collection of Attica Kraters and Lekythos. Other rooms contained secular Medieval era paintings. The third floor collections, mostly paintings, featured works from the 19th century.
The fourth floor, up another seven flights of stairs, had a display of modern photography intermixed with ancient artifacts. Back on the ground floor there were some more ancient Roman and Greek sculptures and tablets on display.
Across the piazza from the castle we found a restaurant with outside seating that had just opened. We sat under a canopy and enjoyed the cool breeze while sitting in the shadow of the castle. Two of us got veal cutlets with French fries for the bargain price of €7.00. For another €8.00 we got an order of calamari and for €3.00 we got some potato croquets. It was a delicious meal and at an excellent price. By the time we left the restaurant had filled up with locals coming from nearby church services. For dessert we went to a cafe back in Piazza del Duomo and had some gelato.
Now was the time to go exploring. We walked down to the seafront. There was a really interesting looking cafe on the corner. We checked out their pastries and gelato offerings before heading North along the shore. After taking pictures at a fountain depicting the Rape of Persephone we turned back and re-entered the cafe. We ordered some more gelato and even shared a pastry. The gelato was excellent. Lauren said it was the best she’d ever had.
Finally we returned to the apartment where we made some reservations for a tour of the monastery and ate a dinner consisting of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and excellent bread. A few cookies may have been consumed as well.
Monday, October 17, 2022
In the morning we went to the outdoor market. We walked the entire market before choosing a few choice items. We got some swordfish fillets, breaded chicken cutlets, vegetables, bread, and some cheeses. It was so much fun. We had the swordfish for lunch.
In the afternoon we went on a guided tour of Monastero dei Benedettini di San Nicolò l’Arena or The Benedictine Monastery of Saint Nicholas of the Arena. Initially we thought that Saint Nicholas of the Arena was a saint that was unknown to us but it turns out that the monastery and the adjoining church were so named because of an ancient Roman arena that had once been in the area. We went in the afternoon because the English language tours were only given at 1:00 pm and we purchased combination tickets that allowed us discounted entry to two other venues. Tickets cost €15.00. Credit cards are normally accepted (the machine was down when we were there so we paid cash).
The original monastery was built in 1558. In spite of their immense wealth the monks built a fairly modest structure. It was the height of the Reformation and they didn’t wish to call too much attention to themselves. When Mount Etna erupted in 1669 the resulting lava flows destroyed much of the structure. When the monks rebuilt they designed a facility that was 16 times the size of the original. In 1977 the complex was donated to the University of Catania, which proceeded with a major renovation.
We started our tour with a visit to the cloister. In the center was a large, rather eclectic structure, where coffee was served to visitors. Our guide took us through the university and down below the ground level where we saw some of the space that was used as the original kitchen. The library is now housed in that space and, where the ovens had been, we found racks full of card catalogs. The floor had been excavated to reveal a Roman house from the first century AD and another from the first century BC.
We went outside. Our guide explained that the 33 foot jagged rock wall in front of us was actually part of the lava flow from 1669. When the monks rebuilt they did so on top of the lava flow. Next we walked up several flights of stairs to get to the ground level. Across a small garden we went in and saw the Refectory. It was a large space with frescos on the ceiling where about 50 monks used to dine. Today it is a lecture hall that holds about 350 students.
Next we visited the space between the lava flow and the floor of the new construction. This was a large space supported by large stone arches. The monks had used the space for storage. Lastly we visited a secondary entrance in the form of a large neoclassical staircase. To be fashionable the monks had built it to replace the original Baroque style entry.
After the tour we walked around the outside of the school and peered into a few classrooms. Although we could have walked around the outside of the university by ourselves we would not have been permitted to see what we had seen without the tour.
Later in the afternoon we returned to our now favorite gelato place. The smalls we’d had the day before had cost only €2.00. Today we splurged for the medium size. They cost only €2.50. We might have to go for the large tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
This morning we went to the Museo Diocesano Catania. The entry fee was included in our combination ticket from the day before. The museum in housed in the Palazzo del Seminario dei Clerici. The museum spans four floors and contains mostly sacred works of art from Sicily primarily from the 15th through 18th Centuries. One of the most interesting pieces on display was an Eastern Style Icon of the Madonna and Child attributed to Saint Luke. At the top floor there’s an entry to the roof with a great view of the area.
A few steps from the museum we visited the Terme Achilliane. It’s an excavation of an ancient Roman bathhouse from the 4 or 5th Century AD. It was also included in our combination ticket. We walked down a flight of stairs and saw a large vaulted chamber. At the end there were pipes directing the water from the River Amenano to where several different pools and fountains had once been. Only a small portion of the entire complex has been excavated.