Catania is the second-largest city of Sicily, southern Italy, and is the capital of the province which bears its name.
With some 306,000 inhabitants (750,000 in the metropolitan area) it has the second highest population density on the island. The city's patron saint is Saint Agatha. Catania is located on the east coast of the island, halfway between Messina and Siracusa and is at the foot of the active volcano Mount Etna.