Discover the 6 fascinating facts about the city of Catania, from its thousand-year history to its hidden treasures. Catania is a fascinating city rich in history, located on the east coast of Sicily. In addition to its artistic and architectural beauty, Catania also hides a number of legends, curiosities and anecdotes that make this city even more interesting.
1.THE GUARDIAN OF THE CITY: U LIOTRU
The legend of the Liotru is one of the most fascinating stories related to the city of Catania. It is said to have been built in honor of a magician or sorcerer, Heliodorus, who lived in Catania in ancient times and was famous for his magical powers and ability to communicate with animals. It is said that during an eruption of Mount Etna, Heliodorus saved the city from lava flows by causing an elephant, brought to the city by an Indian merchant, to frighten the volcano with its roar. This miraculous gesture saved Catania from destruction. Following his death, Heliodorus was buried in the Piazza del Duomo, and a statue of the elephant, Liotru, was erected in his honor and became a symbol of the city. Touching the elephant’s right front leg is said to bring good luck and good omen.
U liotru – Piazza Duomo
2. UNIVERSITY SQUARE AND ITS LEGENDS
In this square there are four bronze lampposts made in 1957 by Catanese sculptors Mimì Maria Lazzaro and Domenico Tudisco, each representing a Catanese legend: The Pious Brothers, the young Gammazita, Colapesce and the Paladin Uzeta. For more info about the legends, read this article.
- THE AMENANUS RIVER
The Amenanus River comes from the Greek “amènanos” and the Latin “amenànus” and is related to the Greek deity of the same name, with the body of a bull and the face of a man. It is a “river-god,” depicted in some of the ancient coins dating back to the 5th century B.C. It is an underground river that flows, probably divided into 3 branches, under the historic center of the city of Catania. In the cellars of the hostel in Piazza Currò, it is possible to admire a watercourse flowing inside a lava cave, but if you look carefully you can see that the watercourse flows in reverse, from the sea toward the mountain. (To visit the cave, you have to pay 1€).
4. THE HEADLESS HORSE
It is said that in the eighteenth century, the beautiful Baroque street of Catania – Via Crociferi – was a place of love intrigues, clandestine relationships and nocturnal encounters that did not want to be discovered. To prevent these from persisting in such activities a rumor was spread about a headless horse wandering down the street in the middle of the night, and so the place soon was no longer a venue for meetings. However, a young man from Catania, who did not believe in the horse’s presence, made a bet with friends: at midnight he would drive a nail into the Arch of the Benedictine Nuns. Fatality would have it, however, that part of his cloak remained attached under it, because frightened after hearing the horse’s footsteps, he ran away in a hurry and died on the spot. The nail mark is still visible on the Arch.
Via Crociferi
5. A FERA O’ LUNI
Do you know what the real meaning of the name “fera ‘o luni” is? The most common and shared answer by the people of Catania associate the name with the first day of the week: Monday precisely. According to many, in fact, the market in Catania’s Piazza Carlo Alberto is called “Fera ‘o luni,” because in ancient times it was held only on Mondays; although, according to another hypothesis, the name would derive from the ancient presence of a temple dedicated either to the Assyrian-Babylonian god Luni or to Diana, the Moon goddess. Today, come sun or rain, come hot or cold, at the same time as the fair of St. Agatha, the fera ‘o luni (or fair of Catania) takes place every day, every morning, from the first light of dawn when the street vendors set up their stalls as if it were a downtown store.
6. CATANIA UNDERGROUND
Underneath the city of Catania, there is an archaeotourism route in the bowels of the city, among Roman-era aqueducts, fountains and thermal complexes. The itinerary is run by the Catania-based association Etna ‘ngeniousa, headed by archaeologist Oreste Lo Basso. The association aims to preserve, protect and enhance the places and culture of Catania’s past history through a rich program of excursions to discover or rediscover unseen or little-known destinations off the usual itineraries. To learn more, see the link.
Catania Sotterranea
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