Catania

In the 10th century the Saracens built a small harbor that served as a landing place for small boats and trade. The first proper port in Catania was built on the initiative of King Alfonso V of Aragon in 1438, on the same site as the Saracen port. The port was provided with adequate facilities for the berthing of large transport and war vessels, the port's loader soon became one of the most important on the island and eliminated competition from smaller towns nearby. Violent sea storms in the Gulf of Catania repeatedly destroyed the artificial piers that were being built. The most dramatic event occurred in 1601, when a sea storm of unprecedented violence obliterated every structure, leaving only a pile of stones.

At the beginning of the 18th century, what we can still see today was built by the Bourbons. The harbor was built using modern techniques and the breakwater was built with great attention to the strength of the structure, paying attention to what had happened in previous centuries. Over the course of the century, improvements were made and in the early 19th century, again under Bourbon impetus, the port improved its facilities.

After the construction of the Messina-Catania Railroad, on July 1, 1869, the Catania Central Station was connected to the port by a 914-meter-long downhill siding, also building a track bundle and the Catania Maritime Station. Around 1898, the Circumetnea Railway also reached the port, building a head station there.