Since we are here during the all important feast days of Saint Agata, the buildings are festooned with flags depicting “A” and people are walking around wearing white robes and special velvet caps in her honor. The other symbol of the city is an elephant – hence the elephant and ‘A’.
The huge candles are carried and used in processions celebrating St. Agata.
Our hotel is located on the main shopping thoroughfare – via Etnea – and where the former palaces are mainly located. Most of them are built in the late Barocco style as the city was totally demolished by an earthquake in 1693. Some of the Roman ruins remain, but most were destroyed or are buried under the present buildings.
The duomo square is quite magnificent, and the duomo itself very baroque. Named the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Agatha, but usually known as the Catania cathedral, the cathedral has been destroyed and rebuilt several times because of earthquakes and eruptions of the nearby Mount Etna. It was originally constructed in 1078 to 1093 and in 1169 it was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake, but the most catastrophic event was the 1693 earthquake which left it mostly in ruins. There are only few traces of the original Norman structure.
Late lunch/early dinner! – oh my! So delicious!
Evening lights
I remember visiting this cathedral in 2008. There was a little tavern populated by old men, and we went in to get a refreshment. I can imagine the tavern is gone and there are lots of wonderful eateries now. Have you seen any of the St. Agata pastries. They look like a halved snowball topped by a cherry to represent her breasts that were removed when she was martyred. It reminds of those little chocolate balls in San Miguel de Allende, that are called “Pedos los Monas,” or nuns farts. Do you remember those?
Yes – boobies! I forget the Italian name.