As the second largest city on the Italian Island of Sicily, Catania is an important economic hub for the country and is actually the 7th largest metropolis by area. With a population of 315,000 and a greater metropolitan population of 767,000, Catania lies on the eastern coast of Sicily directly in-between Pachino in the South and Messina in the North. This city was originally founded as a Greek colony in ancient times and since then has been part of numerous Empires and cultures including the Carthaginians, the Roman Republic, the Ostrogoths and eventually became part of the Kingdom of Italy.

During the Renaissance period, Catania was one of the most influential cities in the country and was known for its rich culture, arts and history. Today, Catania maintains a huge amount of its heritage and culture and offers a plethora of interesting structures and museums such as the Basilica Sant’Agata and the Museo Civici. Furthermore, this charming Sicilian city lies in close proximity to the legendary Mount Eta and offers a great amount of different day trips and outdoor sight-seeing excursions.