The elephant, called by the inhabitants “liotru”, is considered the symbol of the city. Placed in Piazza Duomo, the main square, it has been facing the Cathedral since 1239, year in which it replaced the former patron of Catania, St. George. The use of lava stone has always been regarded as a tool to give special powers to the animal, guardian of the historic centre against the volcano. The origin of the sculpture and its first collocation are still debated nowadays. Most probably, it was created during the Roman age and worshipped by the pagans, and its name could derive from a mythical magician, Eliodoro, who used to ride an elephant to travel to Constantinople. The elephant used to adorn the Senatorial Palace, before being buried as a result of the 1693 earthquake. The current fountain was built in 1757 by the architect Vaccarini, who reused the basalt sculpture and an Egyptian obelisk in order to re-establish the multicultural identity of a city that has always had to live with such a powerful neighbour.

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Photo credit: © www.zainoo.com

The elephant

During the Greek and Roman dominations, the city was rich in water by virtue of the Amenano River. Therefore, the Romans built three thermal baths, which exploited the local water source. One of those complexes is the Archillean Thermae, the only one not converted into a church, nowadays visible below the Cathedral in Piazza Duomo. Little is known about the original dimensions of the site, submerged by the lava during the disastrous eruption occurred in 1669 and the earthquake in 1693. The archaeological remains were excavated by the Prince of Biscari, Ignazio Paternò Castello. The structure is characterised by cross vaults supported by pillars, with a marble basin at the centre. The Amenano River, flowing underground, is here visible, framed by classical frescoes adorning the walls of the baths. Another city lies under the surface, covered by the lava centuries ago and now willing to come to light.

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Photo credit: © www.peripericatania.it

Achillean Baths

Buried due to the numerous eruptions of Mt. Etna, Amenano River constituted the main waterway of the city over the centuries. The name refers to a Greek god depicted in coins and medals, with the body of a bull and a human head. The river used to cross the Judecca, the former Jewish area of the city, and it was therefore called “Judicello”. &nbsp;Nowadays, Amenano River is only a ghost of what it used to look like in the past, since the water is visible only in a few sites: the most important is the fountain placed in Piazza Duomo with a representation of the river, built by Tito Angelini in 1867. Moreover, the Achillean Thermae and the Gammazita Well are scenic monuments that still interact with the water. However, the most picturesque view of the forgotten river can be experienced at the “A Putia dell’Ostello”, a restaurant close to the renowned Fish Market. Here, the visitors have access to an underground cave made of lava stone, lit by lamps, in which the river becomes a magical and surreal symbol of how the city itself survived the fire and the lava.

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Photo credit: © www.quantomanca.com

The Amenano river

Do not worry if the front gate is closed: you are in the right place, part of the former Jewish quarter of the city. Here, the Amenano River, called “Judicello”, supplied the neighbourhood with water by means of different wells. In particular, various legends are embedded to the spring you are about to visit, whose name originates from a local girl who lived in this area during the French occupation in the 11th century. The virtuous Gammazita, known for her beauty, was already engaged to a Sicilian man when she drew the attention of a French soldier. One day, while she was at the well, the soldier tried to assault her; instead of surrendering to the foreign, faithful to her beloved, she decided to sacrifice her own life jumping into the well and preserving her honour. The well was among the sites hit by the lava flow in 1669, visited by poets and artists coming from Europe during their Grand Tours in the subsequent years. The building of an underground lava stone staircase contributed to the fame of this legendary place during Romanticism, forgotten and neglected in the following centuries, when it was closed within the perimeter of a private courtyard.

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Photo credit: © Salvo Puccio.&nbsp;

Gammazita Well

If Mt. Etna is one of the main protagonists of Catania, St. Agatha is its counterpart, the beloved patron, believed to have performed various miracles that protected the city from the disruptive activities of the volcano. For instance, during the famous eruption of the 17th century, the lava was threatening the historic centre, surrounded by walls. Here, a niche with a painting depicting the saint was hit by the flow: however, the religious representation started floating instead of being submerged, being transported for hundreds of metres; then, the flow was diverted. The historic centre was safe, and the episode was celebrated through the building of this small church in 1707. The mentioned painting is now conserved in the structure: St. Agatha, presented in prison after her martyrdom, is leaning on a window through which the beholder is able to see Mt. Etna erupting with all its power, a detail perhaps added subsequently to these events. The small church, almost unknown even by the inhabitants, is closed to the public, but it can be visited asking to the Confraternity of “S. Agata Le Sciare e S. Barbara”, which takes care of the sacred building.&nbsp;

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Photo credit: © Mapio.net

Sant'Agata alle Sciare

Welcome to the second biggest Benedictine Monastery in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. Founded in 1558, the Monastery was rebuilt and modified due to the natural cataclysms that affected the city from 1600 onwards. Hence, it represents a valuable testimony that reflects the history of Catania. Given the fact that our itinerary is focused on the relationship between Mt. Etna and the territory, this step will show you the lava bench that is visible here; however, in order to explore the building properly, we recommend you to join a guided tour.

 
In 1669, the lava surrounded the northern and western sides of the complex, damaging the structure and forming a 12-metre tall lava bench. Subsequently, the earthquake that happened 24 years later destroyed a high percentage of the complex and killed almost every monk living in the Monastery. The survivors, with the help of the architect Vaccarini, exploited the new level made of lava as a basis for the construction of an additional area of the building. Inside, the basements, adjacent to the refectory, are among the few spaces that survived the eruption and the earthquake; here, in 2001 the surveyor Leonardi created a red structure to support the upper floors, as a tribute to the fire and the volcano.

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Photo credit: © Natasha Puglisi.&nbsp;

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The lava bench

According to a local saying, St. Agatha’s head is harder than the lava. The Christian girl, who lived in the 3rd century CE, rejected the avances of a Roman politician: consequently, she suffered different martyrdoms. Even though she was whipped, rolled on burnt coals and her breasts cut off, she never lost faith in God. Her courage made her one of the most worshipped virgin martyrs in the early Christendom, believed to have performed several miracles that protected Catania from the lava; this is the reason as to why she is now the patron of her city. If the Cathedral in Piazza Duomo is now the most famous and important religious building, not everyone knows that prior to that, this small church was the former cathedral in which the relics of the saint were preserved. Built in 264 CE and called “Vetere”, from the Latin “ancient”, the church lost its status in 1091, when the current cathedral was built. The structure was destroyed by the 1693 earthquake, and was reconstituted so that it could include the former ruins and the crypt, which miraculously survived to the catastrophe.

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Photo credit: © BeWeB

Sant'Agata la Vetere (1)

We will further focus on this church because of the importance and relevance it has been having from its creation to nowadays. It is curious to notice that, unlike the other buildings erected in the aftermath of the eruption and the earthquake, Sant’Agata la Vetere does not present a baroque façade. In fact, the black and white structure is lacking any decorative element resembling those of the architecture of the historic centre. Inside, the first sarcophagus in which the relics of the martyr were kept is embellished with two gryphons, symbolising strength and courage, and a candelabrum, which refers to the saint’s burning soul. The crypt placed underground, once home to the relics, is now hosting a small museum of St. Agatha. Despite the role of cathedral being transferred to another building, the religious community converted the church into a place in which indigent families could find support. During the 1960s, the efforts of the community were directed towards the disabled. Now, the rehabilitation centre that was initially created in this structure is accredited by the National Health System, a symbol of rebirth not only after natural catastrophes, but also after the loss of meaning consequent to the building of another cathedral.

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Photo credit: © Melissa Sichili, Giulia Tedeschi.&nbsp;

Sant'Agata la Vetere (b)

For those wondering where the lake mentioned in the title is, the answer is to be found in the name of the road in which you are in this moment. “Via lago di Nicito”, translated Nicito Lake Road, is the place where this basin of water was before the eruption happened in 1669. The lake was probably formed because of volcanic activities in 406 BCE, when the lava flow hit the Amenano River in this area. The name given to the new formation came from the Greek adjective “Aniketos”, which means “unconquered”. The lands surrounding the lake were fertile, as described by the historian Strabo in his “Geography”, and were rapidly inhabited by the local citizens. Moreover, the aristocracy organised events and regattas in this flourishing district, later destroyed by the Mountain. As a matter of fact, it was first resized and then finally erased in a few hours during the famous eruption. Once again, Mount Etna transformed the territory at its pleasure, creating and destroying, submerging and revealing parts of a city whose destiny is controlled by its unpredictability.

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Photo credit: © Carmen Valisano. Source: catania.meridionews.it

Nicito Lake

Catania, called “The black city” because of the volcanic stone extensively used in Architecture, is an urban centre continuously reconstructed from its ashes. This is a story of fire, devastation and rebirth, shaped by the unpredictable will of Mt. Etna, the most active volcano in Europe. We will follow an itinerary centred on the bond between “The Mountain”, as the locals call it, and the city itself. In particular, our leitmotiv will be the discovery of lost natural features and structures of the historic centre rebuilt or modified according to the Baroque style after the eruption occurred in 1669. Some years later, the eruption was followed by what is considered the largest seismic catastrophe in Eastern Sicily. The architect in charge of the restoration, Vaccarini, exploited the massive amount of local lava stone in order to create refined structures, re-elaborating themes and cults of the past.

Catania - The black city

Sant'Agata la Vetere

Sicily

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Sicily

Catania - The black city

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