#siciliansea
This summer I was so lucky to spend couple of days in Catania (second largest city in Sicily) and ready to share some interesting facts about this colorful city:
• Catania is indeed blessed with not one, but two UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
1. The Historic Centre of Catania: Piazza Duomo, the Roman amphitheatre, and the elephant fountain, earned its UNESCO designation in 2002. It's a testament to Catania's resilience, its rich Baroque architecture and vibrant cultural tapestry.
2. Mount Etna: Europe's tallest and most active volcano, Mount Etna, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2013. It's more than just a fiery behemoth; it's a natural laboratory, shaping the city's geology and providing fertile volcanic soil for its agriculture.
· Catania parades an unexpected mascot – the mighty elephant (locally known as "O Liotru")! It's a stone sentinel with an enigmatic past. Why an elephant, you ask? Some say the elephant guards Catania from Mount Etna's fiery outbursts, a protector born from the legend of a dwarfed elephant that roamed ancient Sicily. Others trace the elephant to Roman times, a symbol of Bacchus, the god of wine and good times.
· Catania's quality of food comes from mineral rich volcanic earth. The city's fertile slopes, nourished by volcanic ash, burst with citrus groves and vineyards. Besides juicy oranges, olives, grapes and lemons, Etna's unique mineral composition creates one of Sicily's best treasures: Bronte's Pistachios, with their rich flavour and deep green colour.
· Most buildings in Catania are built with lava rock: Did you know Catania's cobblestones are whispers of past eruptions? Stroll down Via dei Crociferi, and you're literally walking on 1669 lava.
“#siciliansea
This summer I was so lucky to spend couple of days in Catania (second largest city in Sicily) and ready to share some interesting facts about this colorful city:
• Catania is indeed blessed with not one, but two UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
1.”@Yeva_shine · 1 year ago