Massimiliano's place was a superb base to explore Catania from. It was a great space for the pair of us, feeling both intimate and yet not cramped. The mezzanine for the bedroom area is such a great use of space.
The kitchen was great, as was the living space. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom was nice, though a little smelly.
We never met Massimiliano but we were greeted by his local representative Paolo. Paolo was friendly and efficient when we arrived - and when a pretty major disaster befell us, Paolo went way above and beyond in helping us. He turned a potentially holiday-ending nightmare into a light experience and we are endlessly grateful to him. He is a credit to Massimiliano.
Everything is perfectly walkable from the flat, which is wonderful. The area is full of life and hubbub, which is lovely, but can get a little noisy.
As an aside, we had a major disaster with our hire car in Catania, totally unrelated to our booking with Massimiliano. The only thing I would say is that if you do come to Catania with a hire car, I can heartedly recommend using paid secured parking for the duration of your trip - indeed, if you pick up your car from Catania airport, many of the car hire providers make you sign a document stating that you will not use free, public parking in Catania.
Beyond that, if I was staying in Catania again, I would love to stay at Massimiliano's place again.