The Bellini Garden

While walking along Corso Umberto I, in the opposite direction of the sea, you will soon come across one of the most beautiful and ancient green areas in Catania: the Bellini Garden. This grassy space, just 1 km away from our bed and breakfast, is the perfect place to relax and feel refreshed, particularly after walking around and discovering all the beautiful things in Catania. The Villa (as it is confidentially named by the local citizens) is located in the heart of the city. Its typical, rectangular shape makes it perfect for walking around and admiring the surrounding landscape, letting children play, or soaking up the warm rays of the sun, even in the middle of winter. At the entrance, there is a stall that sells all kinds of treats: crunchy or soft nougat, toasted almonds, sweets, and candy floss. Buying whatever takes your fancy whilst walking around the garden and eating it, is truly a pleasurable experience!

You can access the park from Via Etnea where guests are welcomed by a wonderful monumental staircase that leads to the “swan pool“, so called because it has always hosted these extraordinary birds. Although there was a period when the swans left the park, leaving the bath empty, they have since returned to the city and now passers-by can admire them once again while they swim and walk around in such a spectacular fashion. The bath is surrounded by 4 groups of sculptures representing the Arts and the Seasons. However, the swan pool is not the only aquatic attraction to see as there are other fountains that give the garden its charming, welcoming and refreshing appeal. Visitors will also find statues, aviaries, grassy areas, bridges and kiosks decoratively dotted around, as well as a well-looked after flora composed of plane trees, magnolias, palms, pines and evergreen trees.

Continuing along the west side of the garden, you will come to the Avenue of Illustrious Men which was built and inaugurated in 1880. It houses sculptural busts of important figures from the city of Catania, such as Giovanni Verga, Federico de Roberto and Luigi Capuana. Do not miss the 1879 Concert Cloister, completely Moorish in style and used for classical music concert performances in the 1960s. To finish off this beautiful tour, you can admire a clock quadrant made from evergreen plants and a calendar made from bundles of grass, modified by gardeners every day so visitors know exactly what the date is.

We encourage all tourists to visit the Bellini Garden as it is a place where you can relax, feel refreshed and sit in shady areas to shelter from the sun.
Contact Reception for other tourist locations.

The Bellini Garden

Find out more about Catania

The Ursino Castle

Etna

The Cathedral and Piazza del Duomo

Historic Markets

Contacts

The Structure