The 11^th EURIPA Rural Health Forum will take place from 6^th to 8^th October 2022 at Catania, Sicily.

The venue for the Forum is the Diocesan Museum on via Etnea 8, in Catania. 

Figure 1 Piazza del Duomo and Diocesan Museum (photo R. Falanga)

The Diocesan Museum is located in the old town centre, next to the Cathedral of Saint Agatha, in Piazza del Duomo, near to several restaurants and hotels. It is easily accessible from Catania International Airport which is located about 5 km southwest of Catania and directly connected to several European cities.

Travelling in Sicily

To get from the Airport to the city centre you can either take a taxi or the AMT ALIBUS Shuttle Service which leaves every 25 minutes, from 05.00 am to 00.00 pm, and takes you in about 20 minutes to the city centre.

The AMT Alibus stop is just outside the main terminal building, about 50 meters away from the Airport's entrance.

The ticket costs €4. Tickets can be purchased at the Exchange Office/ Bus Ticket Office in the Arrivals Hall, on board of the bus with cash or credit card, or at any AMT ticket-vending machine. Be sure to validate your ticket on board the bus.

Stops: Fontanarossa Airport, Asse dei servizi, Faro Biscari, Tempio, Colombo, Borsellino Square (under the bridge), Vittorio Emanuele, Duomo, Etnea, Stesicoro, Sicilia, Martiri Libertà, Catania Railway Station (Catania Centrale).

Local taxis at Catania Airport calculate their fares using a taximeter, based on the time and distance travelled. It is good to know that Sicilian taxi rates vary depending on if they are travelling during the day, night, or on a weekend. Your Catania airport to city taxi should cost around €25 during the day and around €28 for night or weekend trips, traffic conditions dependant. In addition to this, Catania taxis charge an extra €1 per piece of luggage, which is then added to the total fare.

Our Italian representative on the organising committee has prepared some tourist information for you.

Programme details

It is anticipated that the programme will consist of two parallel sessions, made up of oral communications, workshops and posters.  An outline of the programme is available here.

Practice visits are being arranged for Saturday morning 8^th October but the list is now FULL.  

The registration fee includes coffee breaks and the welcome reception on the terrace of the Diocesan Museum.  But please note that lunches are not included in the registration fee – delegates will be free to ‘do their own thing’ at lunch time. There are many cafes and hotels in the vicinity of the museum for lunches.

The lunch breaks will enable you to enjoy this time visiting the characteristic fish market or tasting typical Sicilian food in the restaurants and bars nearby which offer also a variety of specialties such as arancini, the refreshing granita and the unique ricotta flavour of the famous cannoli. During the break, you can take a stroll in via Etnea – the high street facing the event’s venue – and enjoy the view of the baroque palaces, go shopping, have a glass of wine al fresco or take a rest in one of the hotels located at walking distance. For the sea enthusiasts, just 2 km from the city centre, there is a pleasant seaside promenade going from the golden sand beaches to the black volcanic lava stone cliffs.

The welcome reception and coffee breaks will take place on the terrace of the Diocesan Museum, featuring an amazing view of the city and Mount Etna.

We will hold the Rural Dinner with typical Sicilian dishes at the “Dimora De Mauro” a building from the beginning of the nineteenth century located in the baroque heart of the historical centre of Catania. It is on Via Gesualdo Clementi, a ten minute walk from the Forum venue.

Places at the Rural Dinner are limited. And the list is now FULL When you register to attend the Forum you can reserve your place at the Rural Dinner (including wine) and payment of 40 euro will be required at the same time as you make your payment to attend the Forum.

There is an opportunity to explore more of Sicily by taking part in our ‘Tourist Offer’: a bus trip to Syracuse and Ortigia on the afternoon of Saturday 8^th October. The trip is now also FULL.  You can find out more here.  You will need to pay for the 'Tourist Offer' at the same time as you make your payment to attend the Forum.

Key dates in 2022