Ignazio Paternò Castello (1719-1786) – The conspicuous number of findings belonging to the V Prince of Biscari, antiquarian and archaeologist allowed, in 1934, the opening of the Civic Museum of the Ursino Castle. Suggested by the archaeological finds of Pompeii and Herculaneum and driven by curiosity for Roman history, he concentrated excavations in his fiefdoms and in the city, which led to the discovery of extraordinary hidden treasures. The Prince, amazed by the archaeological wealth remained "dormant" underground, in 1758 inaugurated the Biscari Museum in his palace. Architectural fragments were exhibited in the Museum, like busts, marble statues, vases, mosaics and bronzes, most of which were found in Catania. He traveled a lot to purchase other archaeological finds, in addition to those that emerged in the Catania and Sicilian hinterland. The Biscari Museum became the destination of travelers of the eighteenth-century Grand Tour, including Goethe. Since 1930 the collection, acquired by Municipality of Catania, is exhibited inside the Ursino Castle and admired by visitors from all over the world.
Vito Maria Amico (1697-1762) – The archaeological collection of the Benedictine Fathers is considered among the most important in the Civic Museum and was born thanks to the will of Prior Vito Maria Amico. Erudite and scholar of the classical world, his passion for knowledge led him to search for materials coming from various archaeological excavations. His interest in history and passion for the Greek world made him purchase in the markets of Naples and Rome, thanks to his wide network with the most famous collectors in Italy, ceramics, vases, medals and coins. Findings that have given life to a real museum inside of the Monastery where today the combined Civica and Ursino libraries are located. With the Siccardi laws of 1850, ecclesiastical assets were confiscated and from 1934 the finds of the Benedictine collections are exhibited in the rooms of the Civic Museum of Ursino Castle.
Frederick II of Swabia (1194-1250) - Called "Stupor mundi" i.e. "wonder" or "Amazement of the world" due to his complex personality, he was not just an emperor. Endowed with profound curiosity, his figure is linked to studies and research: from astronomy to philosophy, from medicine to falconry, from astrology to poetry. The Sicilian poetic school, which he founded, became the "cradle" of the Italian language. His way of governing anticipated the modern state. He is buried in the cathedral of Palermo, next to his mother Costanza D'Altavilla, his father Enrico VI and his grandfather Roger II. Frederick II of Swabia had the Ursino Castle built from 1239 to 1250, as part of the fortification campaign in eastern Sicily. The emperor entrusted the task of directing the works to Riccardo da Lentini, who chose a strategic position: a promontory overlooking the sea but which also dominated the urban centre, as a defensive garrison of the city. Over the centuries the manor has held various functions, including those of prison and barracks, but also the seat of the Sicilian Parliament during the Aragonese kingdom.
Bianca di Navarra (1387-1441) – Her presence inside the Ursino Castle in Catania saw her as the protagonist – in 1402 – of a proxy marriage with the King of Sicily Martin I of Aragon. The ritual took place in the room where the meetings of the Sicilian parliament and large receptions were celebrated. Today the Parliament hall houses the Art Gallery where artworks from Giovan Battista Finocchiaro's collection are exhibited. "In 1409 upon the death of Martin the Younger... when the Grand Justiciar Bernardo Gabrera, wishing to marry the widowed queen and having been rejected by her, moved her war, Bianca was forced to leave the Ursino fortress ... Bianca, once these riots ended, returned from Palermo, where she had taken refuge, to Catania. Here she continued to govern Sicily, as vicar of King Ferdinand of Aragon, until 1414". (A. Arena, Ursino Castle)
