Catania had its first sea port in 1438
because King Alfonso D’Aragona ordered the construction of a
rigged and fortified pier for his great ships, where there was
the ancient ‘Porto saraceno’. Violent sea-storms destroyed the
pier many times, making it insecure. During 1400 and 1500 the
people of Catania tempted to rebuild the sea port. After the
terrifying sea-storm of 1601, that destroyed completely the sea
port, the government gave to a Maltese group of experts the task
to realize the port of Catania. The works lasted for five years,
but at the end the city of Catania had a secure and protected
port. The sea-storm of 1933 damaged another time the structures
of the sea port. The Mussolini government, two years before the
beginning of the Second World War, ordered the restoration and
the enlargement of the port and it became one of the most modern
ports of South Italy. Nowadays the port of Catania has a total
area on land of about 270.000 sq. mt. and it consists of two
docks: one facing the west ( old port ) and one facing the east
( new port ). It is above all a commercial sea port, although
there are a lot of passengers travelling in cruise ships and
some ferry-boats that link Catania with Genoa, Naples and Malta.
Sea port of Catania: the harbour
master's offices are open to the public from Monday to Friday
from 9,00 to 12,00, on Tuesday and Thursday also from 15,30 to
17,30. Tel +39 095 53113/531667/532605 fax 095 533962
