Porta Catania (Catania Gate), Taormina

Catania Gate (Porto Catania), built in 1440, is one of the original gates to the hilltop resort town of Taormina, Sicily. It accesses the Corso Umberto, the main street of the city. The Corso is a pedestrian street, a walkway leading to the eastern, more ornate gate, the Messina Gate (Porta Messina).

The Catania Gate stands before the Giuseppe Buciuni Square (Piazza Giuseppe Buciuni). It was once a part of the triple wall fortification system defending the city. Above the arched gateway is a bas-relief plaque with the Arogonese coat of arms giving the date of the most recent restoration.

The architecture around the Catania Gate is a mix of Arab, Norman, Gothic, and Spanish elements. Catania Gate is also called Gate of the Touch (Porta del Tocco). In the Norman times, public meetings were held at the first hour after noon (corresponding to 1 pm) in the adjacent square, now Giuseppe Buciuni Square. Buciunì, born in Taormina, was a war hero of 1941.

The gateway is a narrow rounded arch set in a crenelated stone wall. The aedicule or memorial plaque is centered above the arch.