Save to List: Farida Alvarez’s Catania
A world’s worth of recommended spots from our global community
words – farida alvarez
location – london, england
At boom saloon, we’re incredibly privileged to collaborate with a community of hundreds of talented creatives all around the world, stretching from Ecuador to Egypt, China to Canada, Austria to Angola. Our strong relations have afforded us a wealth of insider insights into the best places to visit, eat and stay, all around the world. Now, we want to share this information with you as we work with our community to map the world and share their best recommendations of how to enjoy destinations both near and far. Our version of a city guide, delivered interactively and in real time – curated for all to enjoy and presented as a savable Google Map for our members to save and bookmark a wealth of future adventures.
A statue of a Spanish prince, decapitated, greets you as you enter the city. From above, alabaster white stucco angels adorning the windows of a baroque 17th Century palace observe clusters of bareheaded youths on motorbikes swerving in and out of traffic.
This is Catania. More rough than ready, it’s Sicily’s second city, its rebellious underdog. Loud, proud and just a little bit grubby. A city that, while steeped in complex history, remains fixed to the present. While other Italian cities go on calcifying their gastronomically rooted identities, Catania is opening itself up to reinvention.
In 2019, designer Bob Liuzzo released his design of an independent symbol for the city. Symbolising Mount Etna, two opposing triangles – black below and red above – are set against a background of blue for the sea and white for the future. Catania embraced it with gusto. You’ll see it emblazoned on streets like Via San Michele, flanked by collage art by Demetrio Di Grado, used by local sports teams or hung at design focused cafes such as Punto. Open source, it’s free for all to use; intended not as a logo but as “a symbol that represents the past, present and future of Catania.”
The impressive facade of Palazzo Biscari, the architectural jewel of Catania’s historic centre and so emblematic of Sicilian baroque, belies what’s going on behind closed doors. In 2021, part of the palace was taken over by Isola Catania – a coworking and events spaces company aimed at anyone from occasional digital nomads and young startups to firmly established companies. With a strong focus on young Sicilian entrepreneurs and artists, their Make in South festival, which takes place four times a year, brings people together for networking, workshops, talks and performances. Southern Italy is no stranger to crisis or adversity but it’s this, Isola says, that drives innovation.
Waves of change are nothing new to this portside city.
A strategic and long overdue clean-up of mafia activity contributed to an economic boom in Catania in the 90’s. It was called la movida, a term borrowed from Spanish meaning, literally, movement; and so bar culture as it exists in the city today was born. Leading the avant garde was Nievski, which to this day is a space for social activism, performance events and a firm favourite with students and Catanese left-leaning intellectuals.
It is a far cry from the Aperol guzzling tourists on the main strip, sat at gaudy citrus-themed Sicilian table cloths, consistently lured in by the ubiquitous meal deals of arancini and off-brand spritzes. It’s seductive, reductive even; but it works. This variety of “plastic Sicily” tourism manages to coexist alongside repurposed factories, gyms and outdoor spaces along with a locally driven desire to make Catania a viable place for young people to live and, more importantly, stay.
While seismic might not be the word to describe the kind of shift occurring in Catania at the moment, despite the ever present threat of Mount Etna, it is a city on the move. And hopefully, in the right direction. Here’s what to enjoy as part of the shift.
Daytime
01_Palazzo Biscari
Palazzo Biscari, home to Isola Catania, still owned and partly inhabited by the Biscari family – descendents of a complex of line of Sicilian royalty. Substantial parts of the building have been repurposed as coworking spaces and an events venue. Painstakingly restored rococo ceiling frescoes sit in harmony with thoroughly modern offices, tastefully decorated in a soothing palate of sage green and rich pastels. There are elements of Soho House here, without the price tag or the hype. By naming each work space after a different Mediterranean island, the concept of isola [island] is further driven home as you are invited to island hop around the indoor archipelago.
02_Punto
Located on Corso Italia, the somewhat bougie part of Catania, Punto stands out even more as a cafe, but also a concept store. Books, limited edition clothes and artworks can all be found here, amidst a wide selection of teas and organic produce.
03_Legatoria Prampolini
The oldest bookshop in Catania has recently had a loving and respectful facelift. Included in the bookshop revamp is a laptop-friendly cafe [still a relative rarity in Catania], dedicated shop space for local designers – including the female artist collective Tabarè – as well as regular talks and book signings.
Late afternoon/ evening
04_Via San Michele
In recent years, this previously quiet and unassuming side street has rebranded itself [in English speaking neon lights, no less] as Via San Michele Art District. Several galleries, including KoArt Unconventional Place, can be found here, along with notable street art – in particular, that by Caltagirone-born urban collage artist Demetrio Di Grado [his works can also be seen in Palermo, Caltagirone and Paris]. Cutouts and retro images of people whose eyes are always obscured with a word or phrase are, at times, ironic; others are humorous and all are always thought provoking.
05_Teatro Coppola
A well established community-run theatre and event space right next to the port, they host live music and special events on a pay-what-you-can basis.
06_Palestra Lupo
This former gym has been earmarked for demolition to create a carpark for years, but the powers that be continue to face fierce resistance. After two decades lying empty and abandoned, it became occupied in 2015 and fast became a bastion for the community – hosting an intergenerational space for music, arts, upcycling and debate. Live music events vary greatly, as do the kinds of exhibitions and events taking place.
07_Zo Centro Culturale
The structure of this ex-sulphur refinery on Viale Africa has been left largely intact. Inside, however, is Catania’s primary contemporary and performative arts venue. There are also several city-themed museums worth visiting in the complex closeby. Etnacomics, a yearly international comics festival, takes place next door every June.
08_San Berillo
After its inhabitants were decanted and moved to the outskirts, this entire neighbourhood lay vacant for decades. Now, piece by piece, it’s being reclaimed and loved once more. Access its artisanal bars and community garden space on Via Martinez, just off Via Coppola. From Via Giovanni Di Prima, San Berillo occupies two worlds. Four star hotels are poised on the edge of a semi-vacant block rapidly becoming occupied by Catania’s West African minority. Here, you’ll see street art celebrating human rights of every kind adorning the crumbling lava stone walls. The local council have it marked for their next beautification project, but as is more usually the case in Catania, it’s locals on the ground who are driving its rejuvenation.
Evening/ Night
*bonus trip: Cross over Piazza Stesicoro and head to Via Gemmellaro to witness the effects of a nocturnal renaissance. The now iconic Vermut bar, having recently expanded and become a respected winery in its own right, was among the first to open on what was once a poorly lit and semi-abandoned Catania backstreet. Their commitment to local wines and produce, youthful staff along with a solid visual identity explains their consistent popularity over the relatively short time they have been in business. Vintage vermouth posters from Italy’s dalliance with futurism adorn the walls; the vibe is laidback and the aesthetic is tasteful and utterly unpretentious.
09_Castello Ursino
A Norman castle dating back to the 12th Century [now an art gallery well worthy of a visit] is an area known for an ever increasing number of bars and music venues. Noteworthy mentions are Gammazita, occupying the tree-lined square opposite the castle. There’s an outdoor multilingual community library and almost nightly free music events [in the warmer months], in addition to talks and workshops with a social activism bent. Further along is Barnaut; outdoor cocktails and live music by local musicians by night and a vintage art haven by day.
10_Nievski / Vladivostok
Where it all began. From the heart of the historical centre, take the steps up Via Alessi to the Nievski: part pub, part restaurant, part youth club [for the young at heart], part social activism HQ. True to its rebellious spirit, there’s still a slightly laissez faire attitude to smoking indoors, to which the authorities turn a blind eye. Established in 1986, it was the first ‘pub’ of its kind to open in central Catania.
For a more chilled experience, head up the steps to Via Crociferi where owner and local hero Saro Nievski has opened sister wine bar, Bottega Vladivostok. It’s also a local winery, organic food store and a local artist space. Via Crociferi, itself a UNESCO world heritage site, while absolutely baroque in its architecture, by night, attracts teenagers of a gothic nature – who sit, skulk and smoke beneath the imposing and majestic cathedrals.
When Garibaldi and his troops marched into Catania, ending two centuries of Spanish dominion, locals – caught up in a moment of French Revolution inspired violence – lopped off the heads of three statues of Spanish princes. It ushered in a new era. A new, unified Italy. In the end it was a case of plus ça change, as Sicilians were to find themselves largely worse off than they were under the Bourbons.
The beheaded statue outside Palazzo Biscari is a reminder; heads of state might change, but the heart and soul of the city remain. Even if those in charge haven’t the eyes to see all it could be.
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