The Ursino castle in Catania was built by Frederick II of Swabia during the 13thI century. During the Sicilian Vespers it was the seat of the parliament and later it was the residence of the Sovereigns of Sicily of the Aragonese dynasty including Frederick III. Today it houses the Civic Museum.
The museum is very big, and it houses art pieces from the Greek period to the 18th-19th centuries. Some pieces of modern art in the same rooms as historical art is a questionable choice. Explanations are provided in Italian for all pieces, in English for most of them, and in Spanish for some.
According to me, the best part is the paintings and drawings collection, with pieces by artists such as El Greco, Luis de Morales, Mathias Stomer, Francesco Solimena, Mattia Preti, Jusepe de Ribeira, Michele Rapisardi, Girolamo Induno, Sebastian Ittar, and the only existing copy of the precious "Nativity" altarpiece by Caravaggio, stolen in Palermo and never found again.
The archaeological section is very interesting, too, whereas the numismatic collection is not enjoyable: the coins are in the dark and not very visible in the absence of light.