Arches of the Navy of Catania
The Arches of the Marina are along a masonry viaduct, built in the nineteenth century for the construction of the Catania - Syracuse railway line.
The viaduct is made up of a succession of arches that surrounds the port area. The project was followed by the French engineer Petit, who used both volcanic and limestone rock for the construction of the arches. The viaduct follows a path that starts from the port and ends just beyond Porta Uzeda, near the fish market. This ancient mooring for fishing boats highlights the grandeur of the Arches: in the past this area was lapped by the sea and had a sidewalk bordered by a sturdy wall, where some sections were characterized by steps made of lava stone in direct contact with the water. This stretch of sea was known as the Porticello Saraceno and played an important role in the exchange of goods. The arches and the sailing ships made this place picturesque and one of the most evocative of the Etna city in the first decades of the last century. It was around the 1930s that, with the arrival of modern vehicles, the appearance of the Porticello began to change: the latter became smaller and more deserted, until it reached its present appearance.
