CATANIA, ITALY BY GIULIANO CANGIANO:

Although artist Giuliano Cangiano, now resides in Milan where he is currently in lockdown, he has drawn from his childhood memories of Catania to create his window scene. The population of over 300,000 sits at the bottom of the active volcano, Mount Etna, and forms the centre piece of Cangiano’s artwork.

The rumbling mountain in the distance is a distinct contrast to that of the picturesque seaside below and is what makes Catania so unique.

In recent seasons, local Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana has drawn from its Sicilian roots.

“I admire the way Dolce & Gabbana are bringing the Sicilian imagination to the brand, the decorations of the ceramics and theold wooden carts are embedded within their collections,” Cangiano says.

Cangiano also recites a collection of essays titled ‘Light and Mourning’ written by Italian author Gesualdo Bufalino as one of his of his favourite books from the country.

And as Bufalino so aptly writes, “There isn’t just one Sicily, there are many of them.”

“Lazy summers” are the artist’s most fond memories of the ancient port city and when it comes to touring Catania, it’s the best season in which to spend 24 hours.

The first meal of the day should be Sicily’s traditional breakfast: granita and a brioche bun at the harbour bar. For a closer look at MountEtna, lunch in the mountains is recommended by Cangiano followed by a digestive “trek” through the woods.

An afternoon drive to experience the sunset is believed to be stunning during the warmer months and when it gets dark, a bar in the citycentre rounds out the evening.

As for a classic dish, try Pasta con le sarde (pasta with sardines) accompanied by a seltz water with lemon and salt. “It combines fishwith the sweet and spicy flavours of our Arab origins,” Cangiano says. But if there is just one thing you must do when visiting the city, it’s to “go and smell the sea,” the artist says.

Follow Giuliano Cangiano @kanjano_org

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