Today’s tour concentrates on the two splendid townsof Catania and Siracusa. Having suffered from a massive eruption of Mount Etnain 1669, followed by an earthquake in 1693, Catania was largely rebuilt duringthe Baroque era and has some stunning buildings to show for it. The Cathedralhas retained some medieval apses but was largely remodelled after theearthquake. From here, visit the ‘Elephant Fountain’, symbol of the city, itconsists of a lava elephant supporting an Egyptian obelisk on its back. Youwill also get the chance to see the Ursino Castle, the Convent of St Maria andthe thermal baths. From here, head to Siracusa, in ancient times, one of themost important cities of the entire Mediterranean region. Originally settled bythe ancient Greeks in 733 BC, the city grew up around Ortygia, an easilydefensible offshore island. The ancient Romans left their mark too and you willbe able to see some marvellous remains of both civilisations in the NeapolisArchaeological Park. The Greek theatre is considerably bigger than the one hadTaormina and was capable of holding up to 15,000 people. There is a magnificentaltar dating from the third century BC and a Roman amphitheatre and much morebesides.
