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“Dear colleagues,

We are proud and excited of your choice of Italy for your IFMSA Exchange. We are planning

everything in order to make this experience the best of your life and honestly, we are looking

forward to meeting all of you!!!

Research and Professional Exchange is about not only the lab and the hospital life…

IT IS ALSO FUN!

Here we show you the main trips and activities you are going to enjoy during your stay in Catania.

As you can see, we will take you to some outstanding places we have in Sicily and of course, we

are going to have a great time with some night parties.

The price to take part in all this “awesomeness” is only 180 euros. If you wonder not to join each

activity, you will decide to pay only for those you like the most. Check out all the details at the

end of the document.

Catania is waiting for you, and so are we.”

Emanuele Distefano (LEO)

Francesca Privitera (LORE)

Andrea Scarfia (ClerkITA Project coordinator)

Mind the following symbols while you read about our trips

This trip is supposed to be a little tiring – especially if the weather is hot –

and there is a lot to walk. We suggest you put on a comfortable pair of shoes.

Why don’t you include a cap for your head as well?

It’s finally time to relax and go for a sunbathe!

Don’t be shy and wear a swimsuit: a wonderful sea is waiting for you.

Now lie in the sun and enjoy your holiday!

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Week 1 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

6th

WELCOME

PARTY 7th

8th

TAORMINA

Week 2 9th

AGRIGENTO 10th

MT. ETNA 11th 12th 13th 14th

FERRAGOSTO 15th

Week 3

16th

P. ARMERINA AND

CALTAGIRONE

17th 18th

TOGA PARTY 19th

20th

INTERNATIONAL

F&D PARTY 21st

22nd

SIRACUSA

Week 4

23rd

MARINELLO AND

TINDARI

24th 25th 26th

27th

GOODBYE

PARTY

28th 29th

Founded in 729 BC by the Ancient

Greeks, Catania is a sunny city

situated in the eastern coast of

Sicily. It offers very different

landscapes: bathed by the Ionian

Sea in the East (you can choose

among sandy beaches – the so-

called PLAYA – and rocky ones –

named SCOGLIERA) and surrounded by Mount ETNA and other elevations in

the North. Your dormitory is really close to the city centre, few steps from the

main street in Catania: VIA ETNEA. Walking down the street, you will discover

the city centre little by little, from VILLA BELLINI – the main park – to the major

square, PIAZZA DUOMO – which offers great examples of Baroque

Architecture. You will immediately fall in

love with the symbol of our city, the Elephant

“LIOTRU”. The city centre is also rich in shops

and restaurants. By the way, it is your chance

to become aware Sicilian food is definitely

awesome: ask for specialties such as

ARANCINO or GRANITA and enjoy the taste

of Sicily! At last, but surely not least, Catania is even

famous for its amazing NIGHTLIFE. Piazza Teatro is the

main place where to find pubs

and music all night long.

Moreover, Playa becomes the

best place for unforgettable

BEACH PARTIES.

Catania never sleeps!

WEEK 1

Thursday 6th

WELCOME PARTY 3, 2, 1…Go!

Your holiday is getting started!

At first we surely would not

know much about each other, so

what is better than a POOL

PARTY to break the ice? Wearing

a swimsuit might be a reasonable

idea, just in case someone

decides to push you into the

WEEK 1

pool! Have a great time and enjoy

the party with our music and

drinks:

this is just the beginning

of a great experience all

together!

WEEK 1

Saturday 8th

TAORMINA Taormina is a wonderful little town about 45

min far from Catania. It is settled on a hill of

Monte Tauro and dominates two large,

sweeping bays below, offering to the visitors a

breathtaking, dramatic

and memorable view

over almost one

hundred miles of

Mediterranean Sea. We

will let you discover

Isola Bella (literally

WEEK 1

“Beautiful Isle”): it is a very small island attached to the coast of Sicily by a little

slide of land and surrounded by an extremely colorful sea. Once we get relaxed

enough, then it will be time to visit the Taormina old centre. Goethe and many

other artists appreciated the town as a "patch of

paradise“ and elected it as their “escapade place”

from chaotic city life. Taormina has become one of

the world top tourist destinations where visitors

can experience a perfect combination of old times

charming atmosphere,

preservation of history

and culture, an elegant

and lively way of life to be

enjoyed in relaxing walks

through the old town

pedestrian areas.

WEEK 2

Sunday 9th

AGRIGENTO Agrigento is a city of southern Sicily;

it is rich in Ancient Greek History,

culture and unique places. Pindaro

the poet described it as “the most

beautiful city among mortals”. The

trip starts with the so-called SCALA DEI

TURCHI (literally “The Stair of the Turks”),

a white rocky cliff made of marlstone and

eroded into stairs. The legend says that

once the Turks reached the Sicilian coast,

WEEK 2

they climbed up the

land by this white

stair: this explains

the origins of the

name. After the

Staircase, we would

be glad to let you

discover the great VALLE DEI TEMPLI

(“Valley of the Temples”). It is the

largest archaeological site on Earth

and one of the most outstanding

examples of Magna Grecia Art and

Architecture. Both the Valley and the

Staircase are listed as UNESCO Heritage sites.

WEEK 2

Monday 10th

MOUNT ETNA Mount Etna is an active volcano on the east coast of

Sicily between Messina and Catania. It is the tallest

active volcano in Europe, currently 3,329m high. In

2013, it has been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Maybe you are wondering how is living next to an

active volcano which may erupt in

any moment of our lives. Actually,

we do not have fear of the

volcano; instead, every Sicilian

has a real affection to the

Volcano. We usually look forward

WEEK 2

to having the spectacular view of the Eruption. Mount Etna is named as the

GOOD VOLCANO because eruptions never have explosive components so it is

not as dangerous as it seems. Our trip ends up at

"Rifugio Sapienza", the most important Shelter of

the Volcano. We are going to stay there until night:

on the 10th of August we celebrate Saint Lawrence,

also known as the night of SHOOTING STARS. It is

very common tradition to spend the

night watching the falling stars and

make a secret wish as soon as you

see one falling. The night is very well

organized and apart from the natural

beauty, we will be enjoying music

and fireworks.

WEEK 2

Friday 14th

FERRAGOSTO People who come from abroad

might not know much

about this particular

festival, since it is only

celebrated in Italy.

It consists in one

ALL-NIGHT-LONG

BEACH PARTY:

every year hundreds of

boys and girls join the

festival by dancing, singing, drinking or

WEEK 2

simply laying on the beach watching the

falling stars and waiting for the dawn.

There is no doubt Ferragosto is the

MAIN SUMMER EVENT! Do not forget to

wear your swimsuit: MIDNIGHT SWIM is

mandatory! If you feel cold, do not worry:

tradition says to

light a fire on the

beach – the so-

called falò –

everyone can get

warmer.

WEEK 3

Sunday 16th

PIAZZA ARMERINA… The VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE is a Roman villa built in the first quarter of the 4th century and located about 3 km outside the town of Piazza Armerina. It contains the richest, largest and most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world. The villa was probably the center of a huge latifundium (agricultural estate) covering the surrounding area. Early in the 19th century, pieces of mosaics and some columns were found. The first official archaeological excavations were carried out later in that century.

WEEK 3

…AND CALTAGIRONE Caltagirone is a town in the province of Catania which is really famous for the production of pottery, particularly maiolica and terra-cotta wares. The city's name derives from the Arabic "qal'at-al-jarar" ("Castle of [pottery] jars") - a name that attests to the antiquity of the pottery works which are still thriving. The main landmark of the city is the 142-step monumental Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, built from 1608 in the old part of the town. The peculiarity is that each step is decorated with different hand-decorated ceramics, using styles and figures derived from the millennial tradition of pottery making.

WEEK 3

Tuesday 18th

TOGA PARTY Are you keen on Ancient History? Have

you ever wondered how a party should

have looked like during the Roman

Empire? Is having fun your main

“philosophy”? Well

then: take your own

bed sheet and wrap it

around your body...

TOGA PARTY needs you!

WEEK 3

There is no reason to be shy, we are

absolutely sure Plato and Aristotle would

have been really proud of you! Raise up

your glass of wine in honor of Bacchus and

dance like the three Graces.

Imperator Caesar would have

said “Veni. Vidi. Party.”

WEEK 3

Thursday 20th

INTERNATIONAL

FOOD&DRINK PARTY Are you proud of your country?

Are you looking forward to waving your flag and show

everyone where you come from?

Do you really like cooking, eating and

drinking? Well, there is no doubt this is

the party for you!

Think about everything exemplary from

your own nation and let your mates

discover your culture: cook your best

WEEK 3

food, bring bottles filled with your typical

drinks, wear like the people of your

community and sing aloud your national

anthems until you run out of voice!

Never forget to show your flag! Which

country will be the best one

at cooking?

WEEK 3

Saturday 22nd

SIRACUSA

Siracusa was built in VIII b.C.

by Greek colonizers from

Corinth and according to its

lucky geographic position, it

was conquered and

inhabited by several people:

because of it today the city shows a mixture of

artistic and architectural styles from Greek to

Roman, from Arab to Normand, from Spanish to

Baroque. Cicero considered it "The biggest and most

beautiful city of Magna Graecia". The distinctive

WEEK 3

color that characterizes Siracusa is the white of its rocks, in

opposition to the light blue of its sea. All this makes it a

fantastic place where to spend your time, accompanied by

great food and a romantic landscape, walking down the little

streets of the city centre and relaxing.

Due to its history,

monuments and

wonderful seaside,

Syracuse is a World

Heritage Site of Unesco

since 2005.

WEEK 4

Sunday 23rd

MARINELLO… According to the legend, many years

ago a woman whose daughter was gravely ill

made a vow to the famous black Mary of Tindari.

When the little girl felt better, the woman went to

Tindari to thank Blessed Virgin, but she found out

the statue of Mary had black skin, so said 'I came

here to see an uglier woman than me'. Then she

was just coming back home, but she could not

manage to find her child. She had fallen down of the

mountain! The desperate woman begged again Holy

WEEK 4

…AND TINDARI

Mary of Tindari 'Please, if you saved her the first time, save

her again'. Her prayers were listened by Mary, and

suddenly the sea got dried out in the place the girl was

falling on. Later, the girl was found safe and sound, playing

on the sand. This is how, according to the legend, the salty

lakes of Marinello, under Tindari Shrine,

formed. Today in Tindari you can see the

big Shrine with his particular black Mary

statue carved out of wood, the

breathtaking view of the natural

reservation of Marinello, and the old

ruins of the Greek and Roman period.

WEEK 4

Thursday 27th

GOODBYE PARTY

We know it is hard to accept it, but

everything comes to an end. We would like to

complete this awesome experience

together by another, amazing,

ALL-DAY-LONG

POOL PARTY.

WEEK 4

We hope you really enjoyed your stay

here in Catania; we always do our best in

order to let you keep a good memory

about Sicily and, of course,

about us. .

We probably started this

adventure as simply mates,

we end up as

great friends.

Now it is time to

say goodbye, but

we are sure we

will meet again

one day!

Rosario Emanuele Distefano (LEO) leo@catania.sism.org - https://www.facebook.com/emanuele.distefano3 Andrea Scarfia (ClerkITA Project coordinator) clerkita@catania.sism.org - https://www.facebook.com/andrea.scarfia

Marco Astuti https://www.facebook.com/marco.astuti

Andrea Barbagallo https://www.facebook.com/andrea.barbagallo1 Maria Caccamo https://www.facebook.com/mcaccamo1 Giulia Cammarata https://www.facebook.com/giulia.cammarata.94 Carlo Chessari https://www.facebook.com/carloch90 Salvatore Esposito https://www.facebook.com/salvoesp Luigi Ferrarotto https://www.facebook.com/luigi.ferrarotto Luca Geraci https://www.facebook.com/luca.geraci

Cristiano Girlando https://www.facebook.com/cristiano.girlando Francesco Impellizzeri https://www.facebook.com/fimpellizzeri1 Umberto Lizzio https://www.facebook.com/umberto.lizzio Aurelio Lomeo https://www.facebook.com/aurelio.lomeo Mario Mannino https://www.facebook.com/mario.mannino3 Pierpaolo Panebianco https://www.facebook.com/pierpaolo.panebianco.9 Isabella Pennisi https://www.facebook.com/isabella.pennisi.52 Carla Spadaro

https://www.facebook.com/carlaspdr Marco Spagnolo https://www.facebook.com/marco.spagnolo.984 Jacopo Tudisco https://www.facebook.com/jacopo.tudisco Antonio Valastro https://www.facebook.com/antonio.valastro.79 Francesca Vinci https://www.facebook.com/PaccaFranca

If you join all the trips we will be glad to

give you a gift: let us know your size and

you will receive your own

“IFMSA Exchange in Catania 2015” T-shirt!

If you don’t go for the all-inclusive pack but

you still desire one of those T-shirts, you

can buy your own at the cost of €10,00.

Contact us before your arrival and we will

order your T-shirt. Are you not sure about

the size you should ask for?

Consult the following link for more details:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0mQxvQFsrV1WFdmX0h6MWFYVVE/view

DAY ACTIVITY COST Thu 6th WELCOME PARTY / Sat 8th TAORMINA 35€ Sun 9th AGRIGENTO 35€

Mon 10th MOUNT ETNA 40€ Fri 14th FERRAGOSTO 25€

Sun 16th PIAZZA ARMERINA AND CALTAGIRONE 25€ Tue 18th TOGA PARTY / Thu 20th INTERNATIONAL FOOD&DRINK PARTY / Sat 22th SIRACUSA 35€ Sun 23rd MARINELLO AND TINDARI 25€ Thu 27th GOODBYE PARTY /

OR

ALL-INCLUSIVE

PACK

JOIN EACH ACTIVITY + T-SHIRT 180€

Created by Gabriele Costanzo

Special thanks to Giulia Cammarata, Luca Geraci, Aurelio Lomeo, Andrea Scarfia (The Legend) and Carla Spadaro.