Castello Ursino, located in Catania, was built between 1239 and 1250 years by order of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and king of Sicily Frederick II. At that time it was considered impregnable. In 1295 in this castle was imprisoned Jaime II, king of Aragon, who was deposed by Parliament during the Sicilian Vespers – a popular uprising. The following year he was captured by Robert of Anjou, but soon the castle again came into the possession of the genus of Aragon.

Later the Castello Ursino served as the residence for the kings of Federigo III, Pedro II, Louis the Child, of Federigo IV and Queen Mary. Last, the king's daughter of Federigo III, in 1379, was abducted from the castle by Guglielmo Raimondo Moncada who wanted to prevent the marriage of Mary with Gian Galeazzo Visconti. Here he held his court, the king of Sicily, Martin I, spouse of Mary.

Once the capital of the Kingdom of the two Sicilies was moved from Catania to Palermo and after the widespread proliferation of firearms, the Castello Ursino 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 has a rectangular shape with massive towers at each corner and a courtyard under the open sky. When the castle was built, it stood on a cliff, overlooking the Ionian sea, however today as a result of the eruptions of Etna and numerous earthquakes from the coast it is separated by a kilometer. The moat that once surrounded the castle, was also covered by volcanic lava. The current location of the Castello Ursino among the streets and shops of a typical town square is sometimes brought tourists into confusion.

Since 1934, the castle houses the City Museum of Catania and the local art gallery. Inside you can see the objects and works of art that have always adorned the castle, and brought from other places of the city. The exhibits are dated from antiquity until the present day, presenting the history of Sicily. In 2009, there have been completed extensive restoration work.