Catania is the second-largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. The city is located on Sicily’s east coast, facing the Ionian Sea at the base of the active volcano Mount Etna. Catania was founded in the 8th century BC by Chalcidian Greeks in Magna Graecia. The city has weathered multiple geologic catastrophes: it was almost completely destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake in 1169. A major eruption and lava flow from nearby Mount Etna nearly swamped the city in 1669 and it suffered severe devastation from the 1693 Sicily earthquake.

Below is a selection of photos taken during a visit to Catania on September 23 2017. Click on a small photo for a larger view, then select the next one with the cursor keys or the arrows on either side of the photo.