Europe
Italy
Sicily
Province of Catania
Catania
Things to Do in Catania
History Museums in Catania

THE 5 BEST Catania History Museums

History Museums in Catania

  • Traveler favorites
    Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.
  • Traveler ranking
    Highest rated attractions on Tripadvisor, based on traveler reviews.
All things to do
Category types
Types of Attractions
Museums
Museums
Traveler rating
Neighborhoods
Good for
8 places sorted by traveler favorites
Clear all filters

What travelers are saying

  • ANGELO V
    Milan, Italy2,665 contributions
    UNESCO heritage site
    The monastery of the Benedictines is part of the UNESCO heritage site "Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily)". The monastery is currently the seat of the university of Catania's Humanities studies department, and it can be visited by guided tour only. There is a tour every hour, and it lasts around 90 minutes.

    The monastery is huge, and it was originally built during the 12th century. It was expanded several times. After the 1669 Etna eruption and the 1693 earthquake, the monastery was rebuilt as it is today. In 1867 it became part of the state treasury, and it housed barracks, schools and technical institutes, the Civic Museum, an astrophysical observatory and a geodynamics laboratory.

    It was damaged by bombings during WW II, and later it was restored and it was assigned to the University of Catania.

    The guided tour was very interesting, and covered the history of the monastery, as well as visiting the cloisters, the gardens, the refectory, the underground library, the remains of a Roman villa, the remains of hardened lava of the 1669 eruption, the monumental staircase. I did the tour on a Saturday, so also the Abbot's quarters could be visited (on work days they are offices of the University).
    Review of: Monastero dei Benedettini
    Written April 29, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ian1811
    Scotland, UK568 contributions
    Well worth it.
    Well worth doing this museum if you are visiting Catania. The entry was only 4 euro each when we visited, and for the fist part you are on a guided tour. Very interesting to see how Sicily went through the war years !
    Review of: Museo Storico dello Sbarco in Sicilia 1943
    Written April 19, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ANGELO V
    Milan, Italy2,665 contributions
    City museum in a Swabian castle
    The Ursino castle in Catania was built by Frederick II of Swabia during the 13thI century. During the Sicilian Vespers it was the seat of the parliament and later it was the residence of the Sovereigns of Sicily of the Aragonese dynasty including Frederick III. Today it houses the Civic Museum.

    The museum is very big, and it houses art pieces from the Greek period to the 18th-19th centuries. Some pieces of modern art in the same rooms as historical art is a questionable choice. Explanations are provided in Italian for all pieces, in English for most of them, and in Spanish for some.

    According to me, the best part is the paintings and drawings collection, with pieces by artists such as El Greco, Luis de Morales, Mathias Stomer, Francesco Solimena, Mattia Preti, Jusepe de Ribeira, Michele Rapisardi, Girolamo Induno, Sebastian Ittar, and the only existing copy of the precious "Nativity" altarpiece by Caravaggio, stolen in Palermo and never found again.

    The archaeological section is very interesting, too, whereas the numismatic collection is not enjoyable: the coins are in the dark and not very visible in the absence of light.
    Review of: Museo Civico Castello Ursino
    Written April 29, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Eils G
    Sneem, Ireland28 contributions
    Good museum interesting
    Visited this museum in Catania, the visit included a trip to the baths under St Agatha Church.
    Interesting place with a lot of local history spread over four floors.

    Do try to get to the roof top if its open it gives a great view down on the main square and across the city.

    Review of: Museo Diocesano Catania
    Written February 2, 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • seolram
    Leiden, The Netherlands900 contributions
    Inspired me to read his books
    Visiting the house where this realist writer lived and worked the last 20 years of his life inspired me to read his works. I did know his name and we had a couple of hours to kill before we had to catch our flight, so we thought: why not?

    Not only is the house a display of the life of Vega, but also of people prosperring in the late 19th- early 20th century, which makes it interesting in itself. Too bad though the museum is mainly focussed on Italian visitors.

    After I came home I started reading I Malavoglia, since the house, the pictures Vega made and the bits and pieces I could read in the museum made me crave for more information about commoners in that day and age. It really is fantastic to read all that after visiting the area, since you can easily paint the picture of the story in your head.

    The museum made it even more real for me, you could almost smell dinner on the table, hear Verga talk to his friends or read one of the beautiful old books in his library, see his wife sitting it the table. I loved it!
    Review of: Casa Museo Giovanni Verga
    Written September 20, 2011
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Catania