<b><font color=maroon face=verdana>I visited Catania only for a couple of hours checking out its baroque monuments and shopping streets. The best way to do it is on foot as there are many one way streets in the city which make driving a bit hard for a first timer.
Nature, has had its influence on Catania, particularly through the volcano. There have been epidemics, wars, eruptions and earthquakes. The town has been destroyed on more than one occasion and rebuilt afterwards.
The 1693 earthquake destroyed the city causing thousands of deaths. The survivors quickly set about rebuilding the city in a way that took into account the risk of further seismic activity. The new streets were wide and straight with large piazzas at frequent intervals, so that in the event of another earthquake, there would be a refuge for the people to run to. Among the architects who set about reconstructing Catania, Giovan Battista Vaccarini, originally from Palermo, distinguished himself the most. He was responsible for a large number of baroque buildings. He designed palazzos for the nobility, churches, the facade of the Cathedral and the Town Hall and the Elephant fountain, symbol of Catania.
So let's go on a short trip around these majestic baroque buildings and churches!</b></font>
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