Castello Ursino, located in Catania, was built between the years 1239 and 1250 on the orders of the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily Frederick II. At that time it was considered impregnable. In 1295 the castle was made Jaime II, King of Aragon, who was deposed by Parliament during the Sicilian Vespers - a popular uprising. The following year, it was captured by Robert of Anjou, but soon the castle again came into the possession kind of Aragon.

Castello Ursino later served as a residence for the kings of Frederick III, Pedro II, Louis the Child, Federigo IV and Queen Mary. Last, the daughter of the king Federico III, in 1379 was stolen from the castle Guglielmo Raimondo Moncada, who wanted to prevent the marriage of Mary with Gian Galeazzo Visconti. It also held his court king of Sicily Martin I, the husband of Mary.

Once the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was transferred from Catania to Palermo and after widespread distribution of firearms, Castello Ursino has lost its military purpose and was used as a prison. This is one of the few buildings that survived the devastating earthquake of 1693.

The castle is rectangular in shape with massive towers on each corner of the courtyard and the open air. When the castle was built, it stood on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea, but today the eruption of Mount Etna and the numerous earthquakes off the coast it separates a kilometer. The moat that once surrounded the castle, was also bombarded by volcanic lava. The current location of the Castello Ursino among the streets and shops in a typical town square imports tourists sometimes confusion.

Since 1934, the castle houses the Municipal Museum of Catania and the local art gallery. Inside you can see objects and works of art, which is always decorated the castle, as well as imported from other places. Museum exhibits dated from antiquity to the present day, presenting the entire history of Sicily. In 2009, there were large-scale restoration work completed.