Catania War Cemetery, Sicily
- Country Italy
- Total identified casualties 2029 Find these casualties
- Identified casualties from Second World War
- GPS Coordinates Latitude: 37.46263, Longitude: 15.03889
SHARE STORIES OF THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN
If you'd like to know more about who we commemorate, visit For Evermore: Stories of the Fallen, the CWGC online commemorative resource. Here you can read and share the fascinating stories from some of the people who took part in the Italian Campaign.
Cemetery Spotlight – Catania War Cemetery
Set beneath the ever-present silhouette of Mount Etna, known locally as Idda, or simply “the Mountain”, Catania War Cemetery presents a peaceful place of remembrance in one of Sicily’s most striking landscapes.
While visitors are often drawn to the dramatic backdrop, behind the scenes, a dedicated three-person team works throughout the year to ensure the cemetery remains a fitting tribute to those commemorated here.
Each day begins with a walk around the cemetery to check that everything is in good order before the team’s work gets underway. Depending on the season, this may include mowing the lawns, edging pathways, pruning borders or carefully removing weeds by hand.
By dividing the day’s tasks between them, the team ensures every part of the cemetery receives the attention it deserves to keep it looking its best.
One of the greatest challenges they face is Sicily’s very particular climate. From May through to October, prolonged periods of hot, dry weather significantly increase the risk of wildfire.
Following a fire that entered the cemetery last year, damaging mature olive trees and the hedge behind the Cross of Sacrifice, the team now places particular emphasis on keeping the boundary areas clear and closely mown to help prevent and mitigate future fires from spreading into the site.
The cemetery’s horticultural care also demands patience and precision. Wild garlic is especially invasive and is removed entirely by hand, with great care taken to extract even the smallest bulbs to prevent regrowth. Once lifted, the plants are dried in the sun before being responsibly disposed of.
Working sustainably is another important part of caring for the cemetery. The team produces its own compost, creates no-mow areas to encourage biodiversity, minimises water consumption wherever possible and has eliminated the use of pesticides to protect insects and other wildlife.
During the hottest months, they also begin work earlier in the day, making the most of the cooler morning hours while continually improving soil quality and selecting plants that can thrive in Sicily’s demanding conditions.
For the team, the most rewarding moments come when the cemetery is filled with colour, the olive trees continue to recover and bloom following last year’s fire, and visitors take time to appreciate the care that goes into maintaining this peaceful place of remembrance.
Against the magnificent backdrop of Mount Etna, their work ensures Catania War Cemetery remains both a beautiful landscape and a lasting tribute to those who are commemorated here.
Location information
Catania War Cemetery is 7 kilometres south-west of Catania. From Catania Airport follow the tangenziale (main road) towards the A19 (in the direction of Palermo). Before reaching the A19 the cemetery is signposted.
Cemetery address: Stradale Passo del Fico - 95121 Catania Zona Industriale (CT) Sicily.
GPS Coo-ordinates: Latitude: 37.46303, Longitude: 15.038888.
Visiting information
Catania War Cemetery is southwest of Catania on the east coast of Sicily. The route to the cemetery is signposted.
ARRIVAL
IMPORTANT NOTICE: We inform visitors that the Province of Catania has installed a gate on the access road to Catania War Cemetery: the gate padlock can be opened using the combination '1221'.
PARKING
There is a large car park at the side of the main road to the front of the cemetery. The car park surface is tarmac, and the ground is flat.
ACCESS, LAYOUT & MAIN ENTRANCE
The cemetery is large and rectangular shaped, there are flagstone steps leading up to the main entrance.
On each side of the steps is a shelter building, inside each shelter building are two stone benches. There is a step up in the shelter buildings, and a step down out into the cemetery. The shelter building of the right side entering the cemetery contains the Register Box.
Once up the steps between the two shelters a large metal double gate approximately 190 cm wide opens into the cemetery, directly onto the grass burial area.
Along a central grass aisle leading to the Cross of Sacrifice from the main entrance are large flat flagstone areas, these lead to the furthest point of the cemetery from the main entrance.
The Cross of Sacrifice is raised on a plinth up several stone steps.
Behind the Cross of Sacrifice are three large semi-circular stone and hedge alcoves, inside each alcove is a large semi-circular stone bench, with a pool behind it, filled to a depth of 600 mm.
ALTERNATIVE ACCESS
Alternative access to the cemetery is via the staff entrance.
Follow a gravel farm track along the side of the cemetery that passes through the gardener’s area.
At the end of the track, there is a gate approximately 250 cm wide which opens into the cemetery.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Cemetery Is permanently open.
However, due to a series of thefts the cemetery register and visitor’s book is not available outside of the gardener’s working hours.
Working Hours for Catania War Cemetery are the following:
Winter: 0800 hrs to 1200 hrs
1300 hrs to 1500 hrs
Summer: 0700 hrs to 1200 hrs
1300 hrs to 1530 hrs
PLEASE NOTE: The Commission is aware of the fly-tipping on the road leading to this cemetery but this is outside our control. However, our staff do inform the Security Personnel whenever this occurs.
History information
On 10 July 1943, following the successful conclusion of the north African campaign in mid May, a combined allied force of 160,000 Commonwealth and American troops invaded Sicily as a prelude to the assault on mainland Italy. The Italians, who would shortly make peace with the Allies and re-enter the war on their side, offered little determined resistance but German opposition was vigorous and stubborn. The campaign in Sicily came to an end on 17 August when the two allied forces came together at Messina, but failed to cut off the retreating Axis lines.
Catania War Cemetery contains burials from the later stages of the campaign, from Lentini northwards. Many died in the heavy fighting just short of Catania (the town was taken on 5 August) and in the battle for the Simeto river bridgehead.
Catania War Cemetery contains 2,135 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 112 of them unidentified.