The Hostel "Ostello degli Elefanti"

We are situated at the very beginning of via Etnea, the city’s most famous and vibrant road. We are between two of the city’s most prestigious and striking piazzas - Piazza Duomo with its famous ‘Liotru, elephant sculpture from which the hostel derives its name and Piazza Università, where you can see the beautiful headquarters of Sicily’s oldest university.

The hostel is found inside the Sant’Alfano Palace, built in the 17th Century for one of Catania’s Noble families. The three grand rooms which form the heart of the hostel are adorned with intricate, and beautiful, frescos and precious marble flooring.
The ballroom, artists’ room and music room today play host to our establishment where beauty, comfort and hospitality will accompany you in every moment of your stay.

Just metres away...
Situated in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage protected old city centre, the Ostello degli Elefanti is only a few steps away from many of the city’s most striking cultural sights.
We are right next to Piazza Duomo, with its seven hundred year old cathedral complex, the stunning marble-sculptured fountain of Amenano, and the historic “Piscaria” fish market with its kaleidoscope of colours, scents, and sounds.

And there’s much more to see nearby: Castle Ursino, today host to the city museum but once the summer residence of the Sicilian King and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II; the house of Giuseppe Verga, the Catanian writer whose literary-realism made Sicily famous throughout the whole world.

The magnificently preserved Greco-Roman theatre, lies but metres away from the stunning Via Crociferi, where the well-to-do of Catanian society would enjoy an evening walk among the soaring cathedrals, the famous archway and the theological institutions that line its cobbled road. Today Via Crociferi is attracting a new gastronomic crowd, as fine dining establishments and delicatessens spring up.

There is the former Benedictine Monastery, said to be the biggest in Europe, the Belliniano museum, named after the significant 19th century Catanian composer Vincenzo Bellini, renowned for writing ‘Norma’, Piazza Teatro Massimo, and of course Via Etnea itself, full of wonderful baroque time capsules, has now become the centre for boutique shopping in Catania.
Mt. Etna overlooks the city, an active volcano that inspired myths and legends never forgotten by the Catanian people. Lovers of the sea will find the Playa, the long sandy shore and the reef with its characteristic black rocks, peppered with numerous beach resorts, creature comforts and various tourist services. At night it all transforms, and you can dance in clubs and bars on the sea under the light of the moon.
The city by night is a magical beauty, packed with young people, and families, strolling through the beautifully lit streets. Café society is alive from morning until…morning. It’s not that the city never sleeps, more that it occasionally enjoys a quick nap, and then back to the serious business of relaxing. All this and so much more awaits anyone wanting to visit us: a well-deserved break filled with culture and fine dining by the sea or in the mountains. Catania has so much to offer!

"Melior de Cenere Surgo" recite the Latin inscriptions on the local monuments: “Flourishing I rise from the ashes again”.
Catania: from the majestic mountain to the shimmering sea, from underground treasures to sweeping rooftop panoramas, from one of the world’s largest street festivals in February to the intimacy of a cosy courtyard, nurturing a glass of Nero d’Avola by candlelight – an unforgettable experience awaits you.