Catania

Sister cities

• Oxford
• Phoenix
• Oświęcim
• Ottawa
• Kaliningrad
• Grenoble

History

Around 729 BC, the ancient village of Katane was occupied by Chalcidian Greek settlers from nearby Naxos along the coast. It became the Chalcidian colony of Katánē under a leader named Euarchos (Euarchus) and the native population was rapidly Hellenised. Thucydides states that it came into existence slightly later than Leontini (modern Lentini), which he claims was five years after Syracuse, or 730 BC. The settlement's acropolis was on the hill of Monte Vergine, a defensible hill immediately west of the current city centre. The port of Catania appears to have been much frequented in ancient time and was the chief place of export for the corn of the rich neighbouring plains. Catania was associated with the ancient legend of Amphinomos and Anapias, who, on occasion of a great eruption of Etna, abandoned all their property and carried off their aged parents on their shoulders. The stream of lava itself was said to have parted, and flowed aside so as not to harm them. Statues were erected to their honour, and the place of their burial was known as the Campus Piorum; the Catanaeans even introduced the figures of the youths on their coins, and the legend became a favorite subject of allusion and declamation among the Latin poets, of whom the younger Lucilius and Claudian have dwelt upon it at considerable length. The Greek polis of Catania appears to have been a local center of learning. The philosopher and legislator Charondas (late 6th c. BC), born in Catania, putatively wrote program of laws used here and in other Chalcidic cities, both in Sicily and through Magna Graecia. suggesting a link between Catania and other cities during this time. The poets Ibycus and Stesichorus (–555 BC) lived in Catania. The latter putatively was buried in a magnificent sepulchre outside…

Geography

As observed by Strabo, the location of Catania at the foot of Mount Etna has been both a curse and a blessing. On the one hand, violent outbursts of the volcano throughout history have destroyed large parts of the city, while on the other hand the volcanic ashes yield fertile soil, especially suited for the growth of vines. (Strab. vi. p.269) Two subterranean rivers run under the city; the Amenano, which surfaces at one single point south of Piazza Duomo, and the Longane (or Lognina). Catania experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa). The city has hot summers, one of the hottest in the whole country of Italy. Temperatures of are surpassed almost every year a couple of times. Winters are mild, with significant nighttime cooling. Precipitation is concentrated from October to March, leaving late spring and summer virtually dry. The city receives around of rain per year, although the amount can vary greatly from year to year, from over to under . During winter nights, lows can occasionally reach below freezing. Highs under may happen during winter. Snow, due to the presence of Etna that protects the city from the northern winds, is an uncommon occurrence, but occasional snow flurries have been seen over the recent years, especially in the hilly districts. More recently, light snowfalls occurred on 9 February 2015, 6 January 2017 and 5 January 2019, but the last heavy snowfall dates back to 17 December 1988.

Most-observed species

• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  469
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  370
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  368
• Common Buzzard

  Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  285
• Italian Sparrow

  Passer italiae (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  249
• Sardinian Warbler

  Curruca melanocephala (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  247
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  239
• European Goldfinch

  Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  230

Most recent

• M 4.3 — 2026-03-21
  1 km SSE of Reitano, Italy
• M 4.5 — 2026-03-04
  4 km ESE of Catania, Italy
• M 4.2 — 2026-01-18
  4 km N of Santa Domenica Vittoria, Italy
• M 4.7 — 2025-04-16
  34 km SSE of Palizzi Marina, Italy
• M 4.1 — 2023-10-27
  12 km N of Milazzo, Italy
• M 4.2 — 2023-04-21
  21 km ESE of Acitrezza, Italy