Catania Sicily

Stesichorus Square and Bellini's Monument (Piazza Stesicoro – Monumento a Vincenzo Bellini)Catania (:,:, Sicilian and Italian: ( )) is the second largest city of after; it is located on the east coast facing the. It is the capital of the, one of the ten biggest cities in Italy, and the seventh largest metropolitan city in Italy. The population of the city proper is 311,584 while the population of the is 1,107,702.Catania was destroyed by catastrophic earthquakes in and, and by several volcanic eruptions from the neighbouring, the most violent of which was in.Catania was founded in the 8th century BC by Chalcidians Greeks. In 1434, the first in Sicily was founded in the city. In the 14th century and into the period, Catania was one of Italy's most important cultural, artistic and political centres.The city is noted for its,. Its old town, besides being one of the biggest examples of in Italy, is a, protected by.Catania has been a native or adoptive homeland of some of Italy's most famous artists and writers, including composers and, and writers, and.The city is the main industrial, logistical and commercial center of Sicily.

It is the home of the, the largest in Southern Italy. An aerial view of the port of CataniaIn January 2015, there were 315,601 people residing in Catania, of whom 47.2% were male and 52.8% were female. Minors (people under age 18) totalled 20.50 percent of the population compared to pensioners who number 18.87 percent.

This compares with the Italian average of 18.06 percent (minors) and 19.94 percent (pensioners).The average age of Catania residents is 41 compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Catania declined by 3.35 percent, while as a whole grew by 3.85 percent. The reason for this in the comune di Catania is mainly due to a large segment of the population leaving the city centre to go to live in the uptown residential areas of the comuni of the Metropolitan area. As a result of this, while the population in the comune di Catania declines, the population of the hinterland comuni increases making the overall population of the Metropolitan area increase.The current of Catania is 10.07 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births. As of 2006, 98.03% of the population was. The largest immigrant groups come from: 0.69%,: 0.46%, and from other countries (particularly from and ): 0.33%.History. Picture of Catania in 1575Catania was sacked by the of in 440–441.

After a period under the, it was reconquered in 535 by the, under which (aside from a short period in 550–555) it remained until the 9th century. It was the seat of the Byzantine governor of the island.Catania was under the Islamic until 1072, when it fell to the of. Subsequently, the city was ruled by a bishop-count. In 1194–1197 the city was sacked by German soldiers during after the conquest of the island by emperor. In 1232 it rebelled to the former's son, who later built a massive castle, and also made Catania a royal city, ending the dominance of the bishops.

Catania was one of the main centers of the revolt (1282) against the, and was the seat of the incoronation of the new Aragonese king of Sicily,. In the 14th century it gained importance as it was chosen by the Aragonese as a Parliament and Royal seat. Here, in 1347, it was signed the treaty of peace that ended the long between Aragonese and Angevines. Catania lost its capital role when, in the early 15th century, Sicily was turned into a member of the, and kept its autonomy and original privileges specially during the period from 1282 to 1410.In 1434 King founded here, the oldest university in the island.Early Modern times.

Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea. It is the capital of the Metropolitan City of Catania, one of the ten biggest cities in Italy, and the seventh largest metropolitan area in Italy. Catania is well known for its historical earthquakes, having been destroyed by catastrophic earthquakes in 1169 and 1693, and for several volcanic eruptions from the.

Mount Etna erupting in 1669With the unification of Castile and Aragon (early 16th century ), Sicily became part of the Spanish Empire. It rebelled against the foreign government in 1516 and 1647.In 1669 the city's surroundings suffered great material damage from the. The city itself was largely saved by its walls that diverted most of the lava into the port. Afterwards in the city was then completely destroyed by a heavy and its aftershocks.

The city was then rebuilt in the that nowadays characterizes it.Unified Italy Catania was one of the vanguards of the movement for the Sicilian autonomy in the early 19th century.In 1860 's conquered for Piedmont from the. Since the following year Catania was part of the newly, whose history it shares since then.During, Catania was heavily bombed by the Allied air forces, owing to the presence of two of the main Axis airfields in Sicily ( and ) and for its strategically important port.

Altogether, the city suffered eighty-seven air raids. The heaviest raids took place in the spring and summer of 1943, before and during the; they caused heavy damage to che city (among others, twenty-eight churches and most historic palaces suffered damage), killed 750 inhabitants and prompted most of the population to flee to the countryside. After heavy fighting across eastern Sicily, Catania was eventually captured by the on 5 August 1943.After the conflict, and the constitution of the (1946), Catania attempted to catch up with the economic and social development of Italy's richer northern regions. The problems faced in Catania were emblematic of those faced by other towns in the, namely a heavy gap in industrial development and infrastructures, and the threat of. This notwithstanding, during the 1960s (and partly during the 1990s) Catania enjoyed development and a period of economic, social and cultural success.

In the first decade of the 21st century, Catania's economic and social development somewhat faltered and the city is again facing economic and social stagnation. This was aggravated by the economical crisis left by the administration of mayor Scapagnini in 2008. Administrative divisions Metropolitan City. The subdivision of the City proper in six circoscrizioniThe was established in 2015 and replaced the former. It includes the city proper and 57 comuni (municipalities). The population of the Metropolitan City is 1,107,702.

Metropolitan area The Metropolitan area of Catania includes the comune of Catania (311,584 inhabitants ) and 26 surrounding comuni forming an urban belt (498,650 inhabitants ). The total population of the Metropolitan area of Catania is therefore 810,234. The comuni of the Metropolitan area are. This section needs additional citations for. Mafia city game. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: – ( September 2014) The symbol of the city is u Liotru, or the Fontana dell'Elefante, assembled in 1736. It portrays an ancient lavic stone elephant and is topped by an Egyptian obelisk from.

Legend has it that Vaccarini's original elephant was neuter, which the men of Catania took as an insult to their virility. To appease them, Vaccarini appropriately appended elephantine testicles to the original statue.The name u Liotru is a phonetic change of Heliodorus, a nobleman who, after trying without success to become bishop of the city, became a sorcerer and was therefore condemned to the stake.

Legend has it that himself was the sculptor of the lava elephant and that he used to magically ride it in his fantastic travels from Catania to Constantinople. Another legend has it that Heliodorus was able to transform himself into an elephant.The presence of an elephant in the millenary history of Catania is surely connected to both zooarcheology and popular creeds.

In fact, the prehistoric fauna of Sicily from the Upper, included. Paleontologist suggested that the presence of in may be the origin of the legend of the., after finding the skulls of, about twice the size of a, with a large central (mistaken for a large single eye-socket) supposed that they were skulls of giants with a single eye.The Catanian Museum of, and holds the integral unburied skeleton of an in an excellent state of conservation. The first inhabitants of Etna molded such lavic artifact to idolize the mythical proboscidian.Classical buildings The city has been buried by lava a total of seventeen times in, and in layers under the present day city are the city that preceded it, and the Greek city before that.

Many of the of the Roman city have been destroyed by the numerous seisms. Currently, different ancient remains can be seen and visited in the city-centre, as part of an archaeological park (Parco Archeologico Greco-Romano di Catania). Negozio Frigeri., built by emperor in the 13th century., designed by Giovan Battista Vaccarini. Villa Bellini, one of the most visited placesCatania is the first economic and industrial hub of Sicily. The city is famous for its mainly, and the extraction of.

In the year 2000, according to Census, Catania was the 14th richest city in Italy, with a GDP of US$6.6 billion (€6.304 billion), which was 0.54% of the Italian GDP, a GDP per capita of US$21,000 (€20,100) and an average GDP per employee of US$69,000 (€66,100).In the late-19th century and early-20th century, Catania began to be heavily industrialised, with its several factories and chimneys, often to the extant that it was referred to as Southern Italy's 'Manchester'. The economy of Catania suffered heavily from the bad effects of, and was marked by an economic crisis and recession that culminated in the 1920s.

Since then, the city lost its industrial and entrepreneurial importance. In the 1930s, Catania remained a small fishing town with derelict and disused industries. However, after the destruction of, Catania's economy began to re-grow in the late-1950s and early-1960s.

As a matter of fact, the city's economic growth was so rapid and dynamic that it was often nicknamed the 'Milan of the South', or in Italian 'Milano del Sud'. This rapid economic growth prompted a great number of Sicilians living in the more rural areas, or smaller towns such as Enna, Ragusa and Caltanissetta, to move to the city to seek new jobs.Today, Catania, despite several problems, has one of the most dynamic economies in the whole of Southern Italy. It still has a strong industrial and agricultural sector, and a fast-growing tourist industry, with many international visitors coming to visit the city's main sights and the nearby Etna volcano. It contains the headquarters or important offices of companies such as, and also several chemical and businesses.

There have been several new business developments to further boost Catania's economy, including the construction of Etnapolis, a big designed by, the same architect who designed the industrial fair in Milan, or the Etna Valley, where several high-tech offices are located.is a fast-growing industry in Catania. Lately the administration and private companies have made several investments in the in order to make tourism a competitive sector in the Metropolitan City., a big and located in, in the Metropolitan area of Catania, 12 kilometers (7 miles) from the city center, is the largest in Southern Italy and attracts thousands of tourists, not only from, but also from the rest of: according to (2018) it is the third water park in. Education. Historical building of the University, in the city centre. Nowadays the different faculties are hosted in different buildings around town.The dates back to 1434 and it is the oldest university in Sicily.

Its academic nicknames are: Siculorum Gymnasium and Siciliae Studium Generale. Nowadays it hosts 12 faculties and over 62,000 students, and it offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs.Catania hosts the, an linked to the University of Catania, aimed at the excellence in education. The Scuola Superiore di Catania also offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs.Apart from the University and the Scuola Superiore Catania is base of the prestigious Istituto Musicale Vincenzo Bellini an advanced institute of musical studies (Conservatory) and the Accademia di Belle Arti an advanced institute of artistic studies. Both institutions offer programs of university level for musical and artistic education.Culture.

The was born in Catania, and a museum exists at his birthplace.The, which opened in 1890, is named after the composer. The opera house presents a variety of through a season, which run from December to May, many of which are the work of Bellini.was born in Catania in 1840. He became the greatest writer of, an Italian akin to. His novels portray life among the lower levels of Sicilian society, such as fishermen and stonemasons, and were written in a mixture of both literary language and local dialect. Was a painter known for paintings of nudes who was born in Catania in 1880. In 1915The city's is, who is celebrated with a religious pageantry, the, on February 5 every year.The city is base of the newspaper and of the TV-channel also known as. Several others channels and free-press magazines have their headquarters in Catania.The city is home to the, which typically runs for several winter months with concerts in different locations.In the late 1980s and during the 1990s Catania had a sparkling and unique scene.

And bands, local radio station and dynamic sprung. As a result, in those years the city experienced a vital and effervescent cultural period. Artists like and and internationally known bands like came out of this cultural milieu.The city is the home of team, and, the latter being a women's club, winning eight European Champions Cup titles from 1994 to 2008. Noted Italian coach is a native of Catania. The city also hosted the first ever qualification tournament for the in 1992, and the associated Etna Cup, which was won by the host Sicily team. In addition, the are currently members of the. Catania also hosted the 2011 FIE Fencing World Championships.Food and cuisine.

Catania has a commercial seaport , an , a central and it is a main node of the Sicilian motorway system.The motorways serving Catania are the A18 -Catania and the A19 -Catania; extensions of the A18 going from Catania to and to are currently under construction.The is a railway that runs for 110 km (68 mi) from Catania round the base of. It attains the height of 976 m (3,202.10 ft) before descending to rejoin the coast at - to the North.In the late 1990s the first line of an ( ) was built.

The underground service started in 1999 and it is currently active on a route of 8.8 km (5.5 mi), from the station Nesima (West of town), passing through the stations of San Nullo, Cibali (still under construction), Milo, Borgo, Giuffrida, Italia, Galatea, Giovanni XXIII, to Stesicoro. Slayaway camp unblocked. These two stations, bringing Catania Underground in the city centre, have opened on 20 December 2016. First line is planned to extend from the of to.Catania Public Transportation Statistics The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Catania, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 56 min. 13% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 23 min, while 46% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day.

The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 4.7 km, while 3% travel for over 12 km in a single direction. Notable residents., 15th century rabbi. (1971–), economist and academic.

(1936-), TV presenter. (1945-), singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker. (1947-), singer-songwriter. (1952-), singer. (1801–1835), composer.

(1967-) politician. (1826–1884), freedom fighter of the. (1907–1954), writer. (1839–1915), writer.

(6th c. BC), jurist. (1974–), singer-songwriter. (1961-2006), aviator. (1861-1927), writer. (1986-), actress. (1925–1984), journalist, writer, playwright.

(1921-2001), actor. (1960), comedian, singer, radio and TV presenter. (1946-), actor. (1976-), rugby footballer.

(1985–), 2008. (1905–?), physicist. (1870–1921), writer.

(1968–), writer and journalist. (1872–1937), actor. (1934-), actor. (1796-1867), composer. (1976-), astronaut. (1903-1976), writer and journalist.

(1924-1996), writer. (1834-1911), painter.

(1974–), swimmer. (c. 630 – 555 BC), poet. (1840–1922), writerInternational relations Consulates The following countries have a in Catania:, the,. Twin towns – sister cities Catania is with., France, since 1961., United States, since 2001., Canada, since 2002., Poland, since 2010., England, UK, since 2012., San Marino, since 2015., Russia, since 2017., Egypt, since 2019Influence on the planning of Adelaide, Australia The site of what was to become the major city of was surveyed and laid out by Colonel William Light, the first Surveyor-General of South Australia. In 1823, Light had fondly written of Catania: 'The two principal streets cross each other at right angles in the square in the direction of north and south and east and west. They are wide and spacious and about a mile 1.6 km long'.

This became the basis for his plan of Adelaide.