The Elephant Fountain (Italian : Fontana dell'Elefante) is a monument located in the center of Piazza del Duomo in the Sicilian city of Catania, designed by architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini between 1735 and 1737. Its main element is a black basalt statue of an elephant, commonly called u Liotru, which has become the emblem of the city of Catania. [1]
The Elephant Fountain was created by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini, an architect from Palermo, as part of the rebuilding of the city of Etna after the January 11, 1693 earthquake. Most scholars believe that Vaccarini was inspired by Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Elephant and Obelisk , a similar structure in Rome's Piazza della Minerva. [1] However, other possibilities exist; an elephant surmounted by an obelisk with a ball on top is documented in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, page 38, (Venice, 1499) attributed to Francesco Colonna. [2]
The plinth consists of a white marble pedestal located in the center of a basin, also made of marble, into which jets of water fall and spout from the plinth. On the plinth two sculptures reproduce the two rivers of Catania, the Simeto and the Amenano. Above is the statue of the elephant, its proboscis facing the cathedral of St. Agatha, patron saint of Catania. [1]
On the animal's back is an Egyptian-style obelisk, [3] 3.66 meters high, made of granite, hypothetically from Syene; it has no hieroglyphics, but is decorated with Egyptian-style figures that do not constitute meaningful hieroglyphic writing. Of uncertain chronology, it may have been one of the two destinations of Catania's ancient Roman circus; the other, more fragmentary one is in the courtyard of the Ursino Castle. Mounted on the top part of the obelisk are a globe, surrounded by a crown of a palm leaf (representing martyrdom) and a branch of lilies (representing purity), plus above it a metal tablet on which there is an inscription dedicated to St. Agatha with the acronym "MSSHDEPL" ("Sound and sincere mind, for the honor of God and the liberation of her homeland"), and finally a cross. [4]
Until 1737 Vaccarini worked to build the fountain, which was later completed with the Egyptian obelisk and the Agatine inscription. In 1757 it was renovated for the first time to add a basin. In 1826 the fountain was circumscribed by an iron fence, within which a small garden was made. Shortly after the unification of Italy, a decision was made to move the fountain from Piazza del Duomo to Piazza Palestro: on May 30, 1862, however, Bonaventura Gravina organized a popular uprising that blocked the move.
There were two restorations carried out during the 20th century: in 1905 a second pool was built, and in 1998 the gate and garden were removed so that today it is possible to sit on some steps at the foot of the base. [5]
U Liotru (also called, more rarely, Diotru) owes its appellation to the mispronunciation of the name Heliodorus. The latter, according to popular legends, was a nobleman from Catania who allegedly tried unsuccessfully to become bishop of the diocese. Having fallen from grace, he is said to have become an apostate and to have been considered a "disciple of the Jews, a necromancer and a smith of idols. [6] " He would oppose Bishop Leo II the Thaumaturge, who would then condemn him to be burned alive in the Forum Achelles. This phantom character was linked to the elephant because a legend said that he was its sculptor and even used to ride it [7] to travel from Catania to Constantinople. Also according to the legend, Bishop Leo allegedly had the statue taken outside the walls so that it would be forgotten, but the people would still give it divine honors. However, all the adventures of such Heliodorus and related connection with the stone elephant are to be considered mere invention.
Contrary to the fanciful versions of not only popular vulgate, the statue of the elephant symbolizing the City of Catania is the gnomon of the sundial placed in the center of Piazza Duomo. The monument is a measurer of time by sunlight and is therefore "heliotric," which in the Catania dialect has become "liotru." After the 1693 earthquake, the reconstruction of Catania coincided with the period of greatest diffusion of sundials in Sicily and other parts of southern Italy. Carlo Maria Carafa, prince of Butera, is considered the most illustrious "gnomonist," that is, an expert in the construction of illustrious sundials, of that period. It is not possible that he participated in the construction of the Catanese sundial in Piazza Duomo. According to the late 18th-century traveler Jean Houel, "the obelisk is Egyptian; it is made of granite and covered with hieroglyphics. According to a widespread notion in Catania, it was placed in a public square so that it would serve as a stylus, or gnomon, to tell the time by its shadow cast on a dial drawn on the ground. [8] "
There is no certain data on when and by whom the elephant statue was made. Over the centuries, various scholars have tried to answer this question, in some cases even drawing on myth. The latter include Pietro Carrera, who wrote in 1639 that the liotru commemorated a victory in a war between the Catanese and the Libyans. [9] However, the story, which the painter Giuseppe Sciuti immortalized in the great historical curtain of the Teatro Massimo Bellini, is totally fictional.
More likely are the theories conceived by Ignatius II Paternò Castello, [10] Santi Consoli, [11] and Matteo Gaudioso. [12] The former claimed that the elephant came from a circus (it would later be ascertained that it was actually the obelisk that had been among the attractions of an ancient circus), the latter two that it was a reminder of a religion whose traces are now completely lost.
However, the current accepted interpretation was given by the geographer Idrisi during his trip to Sicily in the 12th century. He reported that the Catanese considered the elephant to be a magical statue, capable of protecting the town from the eruptions of Mount Etna. [13] Also according to the Arab geographer, the statue was built during Carthaginian rule.According to the geographer Idrisi, the elephant statue was made during Carthaginian or Byzantine rule. By the time he visited Catania (12th century), the lava stone elephant was already inside the city walls. [14] It was reportedly brought there by the Benedictines of the monastery of St. Agatha, who placed it under an arch known as "di Liodoro. [15] " In 1239 the elephant statue was chosen as the symbol of Catania. Some claim that the transfer within the walls took place on this very occasion.
The connection between Catania and the liotru is very ancient. An ancient legend tells of an elephant that allegedly hunted ferocious animals during the founding of Kατάvη. [16] Under Muslim rule, the city was known as Balad-el-fil or Medinat-el-fil, meaning "city of the elephant."
The Liotru did not become an official symbol of the city until 1239: before then, the city emblem was the effigy of St. George. The Catanese decided to change following a series of uprisings in order to move from being merely the domain of a bishop-count to a state-owned city. After failing in the uprisings of 1195, 1207 and 1221, success came with the official concession signed by Frederick II. The first "official release" of the new symbol occurred at a session of Parliament in Foggia in 1240. [16]
Catania is the second-largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, and among the largest in Italy. It has important road and rail transport infrastructures, and hosts the main airport in Sicily. The city is located on Sicily's east coast, facing the Ionian Sea at the base of the active volcano Mount Etna. It is the capital of the 58-municipality region known as the Metropolitan City of Catania, which is the seventh-largest metropolitan area in Italy. The population of the city proper is 311,584, while the population of the Metropolitan City of Catania is 1,107,702.
Giovanni Battista Vaccarini was a Sicilian architect, notable for his work in the Sicilian Baroque style in his homeland during the period of massive rebuilding following the earthquake of 1693. Many of his principal works can be found in the area in and around Catania.
Piazza della Signoria is a w-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio. It is the main point of the origin and history of the Florentine Republic and still maintains its reputation as the political focus of the city. It is the meeting place of Florentines as well as the numerous tourists, located near Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza del Duomo and gateway to Uffizi Gallery.
Castello Ursino, also known as Castello Svevo di Catania, is a castle in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was built in the 13th century as a royal castle of the Kingdom of Sicily, and is mostly known for its role in the Sicilian Vespers, when it became the seat of the Sicilian Parliament. The castle is in good condition today, and it is open to the public as a museum.
Piazza del Popolo is a large urban square in Rome. The name in modern Italian literally means "People's Square", but historically it derives from the poplars after which the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, in the northeast corner of the piazza, takes its name.
The Fontana del Pantheon was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII and is located in the Piazza della Rotonda, Rome, in front of the Roman Pantheon. It was designed by Giacomo Della Porta in 1575 and sculpted out of marble by Leonardo Sormani.
The Festival of Saint Agatha is the most important religious festival of Catania, Sicily, commemorating the life of the city's patron saint, Agatha of Sicily. It is among the largest Catholic religious festivals in the world, in terms of participants and spectators. It takes place annually from February 3rd to 5th, and on August 17th. The earlier dates commemorate the martyrdom of the Catanian saint, while the latter date celebrates the return of her remains from Constantinople, where they had been taken as spoils of war by the Byzantine general George Maniaces and held for 86 years.
Euplius (Euplus) is venerated as a martyr and saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church.
Saint Leo of Catania, also known as the Thaumaturgus, or St Leo the Wonderworker in Sicily, was the fifteenth bishop of Catania, famed also for his love and care toward the poor. His feast day occurs on 20 February, the day of his death, when he is venerated as a saint by both Roman Catholics and the Orthodox Church. He lived in the hiatus between the reigns of the Emperors Justinian II and Constantine VI.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Agatha, usually known as the Catania Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was the seat of the Bishops of Catania until 1859, when the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese, and since then has been the seat of the Archbishops of Catania.
Palazzo degli Elefanti is a historical building in Catania, region of Sicily, southern Italy. It currently houses the city's Town Hall. In the past, the prior building was also known as the Palazzo Senatorio or Loggia Senatoria.
Elephant and Obelisk is a statue of an elephant carrying an obelisk, designed by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It was unveiled in 1667 in the Piazza della Minerva in Rome, adjacent to the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, where it stands today.
Piazza del Duomo is the main city square in Catania, Italy, flanked by both the centers of civic and religious power.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Catania in the Sicily region of Italy.
The Baths of the Rotonda are the remains of one of several Roman public baths in the city of Catania, Sicily. Built between the 1st and 2nd century CE, they are not far from the Roman theatre and the odeon. In the Byzantine era, the church of Santa Maria della Rotonda with its characteristic dome was built upon the remains of the Roman baths. Its walls are still covered in medieval and baroque frescoes.
Santa Agata al Carcere, sometimes called Santo Carcere or the Carcere church is a Roman Catholic church located on Piazza Santo Carcere #7, in the city of Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It is one of three nearly adjacent churches dedicated in honor of St Agatha of Sicily in this neighborhood, the other two being Sant'Agata alla Fornace and Sant'Agata la Vetere.
The Santuario della Madonna del Carmine also called Basilica di Maria Santissima Annunziata al Carmine, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica church and Marian sanctuary located on Piazza Carlo Alberto, in the town of Catania, Sicily.
The Monument to Vincenzo Bellini is an outdoor monument located on Piazza Stesicoro, in the city of Catania, Sicily, Italy. Grandbeggers place
The Palazzo Cutelli is a historic palace, once housing the Collegio Cutelli, now the semiprivate Convitto Cutelli, a boarding school from primary to lyceum grades, located on Via Vittorio Emanuele #56 in central Catania, region of Sicily, Italy.
The Palazzo del Seminario dei Chierici, also known as the Palazzo dei Chierici is a monumental building located facing the piazza Duomo in Catania, region of Sicily, Italy. It stands aside from the Cathedral of Sant'Agata, and across the piazza from the Palazzo degli Elefanti, which houses city hall. Between these two palaces, the Monument of the Elephant with obelisk is located.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)