Via del Vecchio Bastione, 14, Catania

This is inside the built-up area of Catania on the Ionian coast, at the foot of Mount Etna. The Simeto plain lies immediately to the south and west, and the lower Etna slopes begin just inland. Catania has a large historic centre with major Baroque monuments and the city functions of a provincial capital, including a university, port and airport. Mount Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage site and active volcano, dominates the landscape; the southern access roads to the Etna area and its ski lifts run up from the city side, with Rifugio Sapienza roughly an hour's drive away. The coast here is urban waterfront rather than a distinct scenic shore.