Is Catania a city in Sicily?
Catania (Italian: [kaˈtaːnja] ( listen)) is the second largest city of Sicily after Palermo located on the east coast facing the Ionian Sea. It is the capital of the Metropolitan City of Catania, one of the ten biggest cities in Italy, and the seventh largest metropolitan area in Italy.
Why study music in Catania?
Catania is home to the prestigious Istituto Musicale Vincenzo Bellini an advanced institute of musical studies (Conservatory) and the Accademia di Belle Arti an advanced institute of artistic studies. Both institutions offer programs of university level for musical and artistic education.
What is Catania known for?
Catania was the birthplace of the philosopher and legislator Charondas (late 6th c. BC) who introduced his celebrated laws there. His legislation was extended to the other Chalcidic cities, not only of Sicily, but of Magna Graecia also, as well as to his own country.
What happened to Catania?
Catania was destroyed by catastrophic earthquakes in 1169 and 1693, and by several volcanic eruptions from the neighbouring Mount Etna, the most violent of which was in 1669. Catania was founded in the 8th century BC by Chalcidians. In 1434, the first university in Sicily was founded in the city.
Why is Catania so dangerous?
Catania has been a prize of many empires over the centuries, from Greeks to Romans to Arabs to Normans to Spaniards (to name a few). But its citizens have a more dangerous enemy right in their backyard—Mount Etna, Europe’s largest and most active volcano, which destroyed the city with earthquakes and lava flows in 1693.
What’s new in Catania?
There have been several new business developments to further boost Catania’s economy, including the construction of Etnapolis, a big shopping mall designed by Massimiliano Fuksas, the same architect who designed the FieraMilano industrial fair in Milan, or the Etna Valley, where several high-tech offices are located.