1.
Metropolitan cities of Italy
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The metropolitan city is an administrative division of Italy, operative since 2015. In 2009, amendments added Reggio Calabria to the list, the metropolitan areas individuated by the autonomous regions were, Trieste in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Cagliari in Sardinia, Catania, Messina and Palermo in Sicily. On 3 April 2014 the Italian Parliament approved a law that establishes 10 metropolitan cities in Italy, the new metropolitan cities have been operative since 1 January 2015. The metropolitan city is composed by the municipalities that before had been members of the same province, each metropolitan city is headed by a metropolitan mayor assisted by a legislative body, the Metropolitan council, and by a non-legislative assembly, the metropolitan conference. Members of the Metropolitan council are elected and chosen by mayors and city councilors of each municipality in the metropolitan city, the metropolitan conference is composed by the mayors of the municipalities closest to the capital. The main functions devolved to the new cities are, local planning and zoning, provision of local police services, transport. Regions of Italy Provinces of Italy Municipalities of Italy Media related to Metropolitan cities of Italy at Wikimedia Commons
2.
Mt. Etna
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Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina and Catania. It lies above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate and it is the tallest active volcano in Europe, currently 3,329 m high, though this varies with summit eruptions. It is the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps, Etna covers an area of 1,190 km2 with a basal circumference of 140 km. This makes it by far the largest of the three volcanoes in Italy, being about two and a half times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius. Only Mount Teide in Tenerife surpasses it in the whole of the European–North-African region, Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of activity. The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the slopes of the mountain. Due to its history of recent activity and nearby population, Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations, in June 2013, it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. According to Adrian Room’s book Place-names of the World, the name Etna originated from the Phoenician word attuna meaning furnace or chimney and he dismisses the hypothesis that Etna is from the Greek αἴθω, meaning I burn, through an iotacist pronunciation. In Classical Greek, it is called Αἴτνη, a name also to Catania and the city originally known as Inessa. In Arabic, it was called جبل النار Jabal al-Nār and it is also known as Mungibeddu in Sicilian and Mongibello or Montebello in Italian. The term is not in use today, although some older people still call it this. According to another hypothesis the term Mongibello comes from the Latin Mulciber, the people of the Etna sometimes use the jargon term a muntagna, simply the mountain par excellence. Nowadays, the term Mongibello indicates the top area of the two central craters encompassing also the craters in the southeast and the northeast of the volcanic cone. Volcanic activity first took place at Etna about 500,000 years ago, about 300,000 years ago, volcanism began occurring to the southwest of the summit then, before activity moved towards the present centre 170,000 years ago. Eruptions at this time built up the first major volcanic edifice, the growth of the mountain was occasionally interrupted by major eruptions, leading to the collapse of the summit to form calderas. From about 35,000 to 15,000 years ago, Etna experienced some highly explosive eruptions, generating pyroclastic flows. Ash from these eruptions has been found as far away as south of Romes border,800 km to the north, the landslide left a large depression in the side of the volcano, known as Valle del Bove. Research published in 2006 suggested this occurred around 8000 years ago, and caused a huge tsunami and it may have been the reason the settlement of Atlit Yam, now below sea level, was suddenly abandoned around that time
3.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
4.
Italy
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Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, Italy covers an area of 301,338 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. Due to its shape, it is referred to in Italy as lo Stivale. With 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth most populous EU member state, the Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom, which eventually became a republic that conquered and assimilated other nearby civilisations. The legacy of the Roman Empire is widespread and can be observed in the distribution of civilian law, republican governments, Christianity. The Renaissance began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe, bringing a renewed interest in humanism, science, exploration, Italian culture flourished at this time, producing famous scholars, artists and polymaths such as Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli. The weakened sovereigns soon fell victim to conquest by European powers such as France, Spain and Austria. Despite being one of the victors in World War I, Italy entered a period of economic crisis and social turmoil. The subsequent participation in World War II on the Axis side ended in defeat, economic destruction. Today, Italy has the third largest economy in the Eurozone and it has a very high level of human development and is ranked sixth in the world for life expectancy. The country plays a prominent role in regional and global economic, military, cultural and diplomatic affairs, as a reflection of its cultural wealth, Italy is home to 51 World Heritage Sites, the most in the world, and is the fifth most visited country. The assumptions on the etymology of the name Italia are very numerous, according to one of the more common explanations, the term Italia, from Latin, Italia, was borrowed through Greek from the Oscan Víteliú, meaning land of young cattle. The bull was a symbol of the southern Italic tribes and was often depicted goring the Roman wolf as a defiant symbol of free Italy during the Social War. Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus states this account together with the legend that Italy was named after Italus, mentioned also by Aristotle and Thucydides. The name Italia originally applied only to a part of what is now Southern Italy – according to Antiochus of Syracuse, but by his time Oenotria and Italy had become synonymous, and the name also applied to most of Lucania as well. The Greeks gradually came to apply the name Italia to a larger region, excavations throughout Italy revealed a Neanderthal presence dating back to the Palaeolithic period, some 200,000 years ago, modern Humans arrived about 40,000 years ago. Other ancient Italian peoples of undetermined language families but of possible origins include the Rhaetian people and Cammuni. Also the Phoenicians established colonies on the coasts of Sardinia and Sicily, the Roman legacy has deeply influenced the Western civilisation, shaping most of the modern world
5.
Sicily
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Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous Region of Italy, along with surrounding minor islands, Sicily is located in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula, from which it is separated by the narrow Strait of Messina. Its most prominent landmark is Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe, the island has a typical Mediterranean climate. The earliest archaeological evidence of activity on the island dates from as early as 12,000 BC. It became part of Italy in 1860 following the Expedition of the Thousand, a revolt led by Giuseppe Garibaldi during the Italian unification, Sicily was given special status as an autonomous region after the Italian constitutional referendum of 1946. Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine. It is also home to important archaeological and ancient sites, such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, the Valley of the Temples, Sicily has a roughly triangular shape, earning it the name Trinacria. To the east, it is separated from the Italian mainland by the Strait of Messina, about 3 km wide in the north, and about 16 km wide in the southern part. The northern and southern coasts are each about 280 km long measured as a line, while the eastern coast measures around 180 km. The total area of the island is 25,711 km2, the terrain of inland Sicily is mostly hilly and is intensively cultivated wherever possible. Along the northern coast, the ranges of Madonie,2,000 m, Nebrodi,1,800 m. The cone of Mount Etna dominates the eastern coast, in the southeast lie the lower Hyblaean Mountains,1,000 m. The mines of the Enna and Caltanissetta districts were part of a leading sulphur-producing area throughout the 19th century, Sicily and its surrounding small islands have some highly active volcanoes. Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe and still casts black ash over the island with its ever-present eruptions and it currently stands 3,329 metres high, though this varies with summit eruptions, the mountain is 21 m lower now than it was in 1981. It is the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps, Etna covers an area of 1,190 km2 with a basal circumference of 140 km. This makes it by far the largest of the three volcanoes in Italy, being about two and a half times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius. In Greek Mythology, the deadly monster Typhon was trapped under the mountain by Zeus, Mount Etna is widely regarded as a cultural symbol and icon of Sicily. The Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the northeast of mainland Sicily form a volcanic complex, the three volcanoes of Vulcano, Vulcanello and Lipari are also currently active, although the latter is usually dormant
6.
Catania
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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, the population of the city proper is 315,601 while the population of the conurbation is estimated to be 767,003. The metropolitan city has 1,115,310 inhabitants, Catania has had a long and eventful history, having been founded in the 8th century BC. In 1434, the first university in Sicily was founded in the city, in the 14th century and into the Renaissance period, Catania was one of Italys most important cultural, artistic and political centres. The city has a culture and history, hosting many museums, restaurants, churches, parks. Catania is well known for its street food, Catania is located on the east coast of the island of Sicily, at the foot of Mount Etna. As observed by Strabo, the location of Catania at the foot of Mount Etna has been both a curse and a blessing, two subterranean rivers run under the city, the Amenano, which surfaces at one single point south of Piazza Duomo, and the Longane. The ancient indigenous population of the Sicels named their villages after geographical attributes of their location, the Sicilian word, katane, means grater, flaying knife, skinning place or a crude tool apt to pare. Other translations of the name are harsh lands, uneven ground, sharp stones, the latter etymologies are easily justifiable since, for many centuries following an eruption, the city has always been rebuilt within its black-lava landscape. Around 729 BC, the ancient village of Katane became the Chalcidian colony of Katánē where the population was rapidly Hellenized. The Naxian founders, coming from the adjacent coast, later used the name for their new settlement along the River Amenano, around 263 BC, the city was variously known as Catĭna and Catăna. The former has been used for its supposed assonance with catina. Catinus has two meanings, a gulf, a basin or a bay and a bowl, a vessel or a trough, around 900, when Catania was part of the emirate of Sicily, it was known in Arabic as Balad al-fīl and Madinat al-fīl. The former means The Village of the Elephant, while the latter means The City of the Elephant, the Elephant is the lava sculpture over the fountain in Piazza Duomo. Another Arab toponym was Qaṭāniyyah, allegedly from the Arabic word for the leguminous plants, pulses like lentils, beans, peas, broad beans, and lupins were chiefly cultivated in the plains around the city well before the arrival of Aghlabids. Afterwards, many Arabic agronomists developed these crops and the orchards in the area around the city. The toponym Wadi Musa, or Valley of Moses, was rarely used, Catania was founded as a Greek colony named Κατάνη, of Chalcidic origin, under the guidance of a leader named Euarchos. The exact date of its foundation is not recorded, but it appears from Thucydides that it came into existence slightly later than Leontini, the only event of its early history that is known about is the legislation of Charondas, The exact date of which is uncertain
7.
Daylight saving time
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Daylight saving time is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months by one hour so that evening daylight lasts an hour longer, while sacrificing normal sunrise times. Typically, regions that use Daylight Savings Time adjust clocks forward one hour close to the start of spring, American inventor and politician Benjamin Franklin proposed a form of daylight time in 1784. New Zealander George Hudson proposed the idea of saving in 1895. The German Empire and Austria-Hungary organized the first nationwide implementation, starting on April 30,1916, many countries have used it at various times since then, particularly since the energy crisis of the 1970s. The practice has both advocates and critics, DST clock shifts sometimes complicate timekeeping and can disrupt travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and sleep patterns. Computer software often adjusts clocks automatically, but policy changes by various jurisdictions of DST dates, industrialized societies generally follow a clock-based schedule for daily activities that do not change throughout the course of the year. The time of day that individuals begin and end work or school, North and south of the tropics daylight lasts longer in summer and shorter in winter, with the effect becoming greater as one moves away from the tropics. However, they will have one hour of daylight at the start of each day. Supporters have also argued that DST decreases energy consumption by reducing the need for lighting and heating, DST is also of little use for locations near the equator, because these regions see only a small variation in daylight in the course of the year. After ancient times, equal-length civil hours eventually supplanted unequal, so civil time no longer varies by season, unequal hours are still used in a few traditional settings, such as some monasteries of Mount Athos and all Jewish ceremonies. This 1784 satire proposed taxing window shutters, rationing candles, and waking the public by ringing church bells, despite common misconception, Franklin did not actually propose DST, 18th-century Europe did not even keep precise schedules. However, this changed as rail transport and communication networks came to require a standardization of time unknown in Franklins day. Modern DST was first proposed by the New Zealand entomologist George Hudson, whose shift work job gave him time to collect insects. An avid golfer, he also disliked cutting short his round at dusk and his solution was to advance the clock during the summer months, a proposal he published two years later. The proposal was taken up by the Liberal Member of Parliament Robert Pearce, a select committee was set up to examine the issue, but Pearces bill did not become law, and several other bills failed in the following years. Willett lobbied for the proposal in the UK until his death in 1915, william Sword Frost, mayor of Orillia, Ontario, introduced daylight saving time in the municipality during his tenure from 1911 to 1912. Starting on April 30,1916, the German Empire and its World War I ally Austria-Hungary were the first to use DST as a way to conserve coal during wartime, Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals soon followed suit. Russia and a few other countries waited until the year
8.
Central European Summer Time
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It corresponds to UTC + two hours. Other names which have been applied to Central European Summer Time are Middle European Summer Time, Central European Daylight Saving Time, and Bravo Time. Since 1996 European Summer Time has been observed between 1,00 UTC on the last Sunday of March and 1,00 on the last Sunday of October, the following countries and territories use Central European Summer Time. In addition, Libya used CEST during the years 1951–1959, 1982–1989, 1996–1997, European Summer Time Other countries and territories in UTC+2 time zone Other names of UTC+2 time zone
9.
Istituto Nazionale di Statistica
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The Italian National Institute of Statistics is the main producer of official statistics in Italy. Its activities include the census of population, economic censuses and a number of social, economic and environmental surveys, Istat is by far the largest producer of statistical information in Italy, and is an active member of the European Statistical System, coordinated by Eurostat. Its publications are released under creative commons Attribution license, Istat was created in 1926 as Central Institute of Statistics, to collect and organize essential data about the nation. It took its current denomination with the reform of 1989, since 4 August 2009, Enrico Giovannini, former Chief statistician of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, has been the President of the institute. In 2014, Istat was named the winner of that years Ig Nobel Prize for Economics after it began including estimates of illegal transactions in the size of the countrys economy. The center in Rome also offers data from Eurostat, the library collection includes 400,000 volumes and receives about 2800 periodical journals. There are also 1500 volumes printed prior to 1900
10.
Italian language
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By most measures, Italian, together with Sardinian, is the closest to Latin of the Romance languages. Italian is a language in Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City. Italian is spoken by minorities in places such as France, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Crimea and Tunisia and by large expatriate communities in the Americas. Many speakers are native bilinguals of both standardized Italian and other regional languages, Italian is the fourth most studied language in the world. Italian is a major European language, being one of the languages of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. It is the third most widely spoken first language in the European Union with 65 million native speakers, including Italian speakers in non-EU European countries and on other continents, the total number of speakers is around 85 million. Italian is the working language of the Holy See, serving as the lingua franca in the Roman Catholic hierarchy as well as the official language of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Italian is known as the language of music because of its use in musical terminology and its influence is also widespread in the arts and in the luxury goods market. Italian has been reported as the fourth or fifth most frequently taught foreign language in the world, Italian was adopted by the state after the Unification of Italy, having previously been a literary language based on Tuscan as spoken mostly by the upper class of Florentine society. Its development was influenced by other Italian languages and to some minor extent. Its vowels are the second-closest to Latin after Sardinian, unlike most other Romance languages, Italian retains Latins contrast between short and long consonants. As in most Romance languages, stress is distinctive, however, Italian as a language used in Italy and some surrounding regions has a longer history. What would come to be thought of as Italian was first formalized in the early 14th century through the works of Tuscan writer Dante Alighieri, written in his native Florentine. Dante is still credited with standardizing the Italian language, and thus the dialect of Florence became the basis for what would become the language of Italy. Italian was also one of the recognised languages in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Italy has always had a dialect for each city, because the cities. Those dialects now have considerable variety, as Tuscan-derived Italian came to be used throughout Italy, features of local speech were naturally adopted, producing various versions of Regional Italian. Even in the case of Northern Italian languages, however, scholars are not to overstate the effects of outsiders on the natural indigenous developments of the languages
11.
Province of Catania
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The Province of Catania is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Catania and it has an area of 3,552 square kilometres and a total population of about 1.1 million. There are 58 comunes in the province, see Comunes of the Province of Catania, mount Etna, Europes largest active volcano is located in the province. There are many roads that cross the territory of the province. The S. S114 links many of the towns from Messina to Siracusa, the S. S121. There are also the A18 Messina-Catania and A19 Catania-Palermo motorways that pass through the province, the S. S114 and S. S192 start from the Catania by pass whilst the SS.514 runs through the southern part of the province and connects to Ragusa. The new province would include all of the south of the Simeto River as well as some of the municipalities of Ragusa. Italy portal Metropolitan City of Catania Official website City of Catania Official website Tourism Portal
12.
Province of Messina
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Messina was a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital was the city of Messina and it was replaced by the Metropolitan City of Messina. It had an area of 3,247 square kilometres, which amounts to 12.6 percent of area of the island. There are 108 comuni in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Messina, the province included the Aeolian Islands, all part of the comune of Lipari. The territory is mountainous, with the exception of alluvial plain at the mouths of the various rivers. Much of the population is concentrated in the area, after the hill towns have been largely abandoned from the 19th century. The main mountain ridges are the Peloritani, up to 1,300 metres in elevation, and the Nebrodi, up to 1,900 metres, rivers of the province include the Alcantara and the Pollina, which forms the border with the province of Palermo to the west
13.
Province of Enna
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Enna is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Enna, located on a mountain, located in the center of the island, it is the only province in Sicily without a seacoast. The province of Enna has an area of 2,562 square kilometres, there are 20 comunes in the province, see Comunes of the Province of Enna. The Cathedral of Piazza Armerina, characterized by a green dome. Lake Pergusa, in Enna, it has a forest inside a wildlife reserve, where thousands of rare birds can be found
14.
Province of Syracuse
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The Province of Syracuse is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Syracuse, a town which was established by Greek colonists arriving from Corinth in the eighth century B. C and it has an area of 2,109 square kilometres and a total population of 404,847. Syracuse has 8% of the Sicilian population and 8. 2% of Sicilys area, the Province of Syracuse lies in the southeastern Sicily, in southwestern Italy. It is bordered to the north and north-west by the Province of Catania to the west by the Province of Ragusa and it occupies an area of 2,109 square kilometres. The towns are particularly dense with late Baroque architecture, dates to the rebuilding of the towns which took place after the 1693 earthquake which devastated Sicily. The capital of Syracuse is an important road and rail hub of Sicily, the Park of Neapolis on the island of Ortygia is connected by three bridges to the mainland. The island contains the Maniace Castle, dated to the Swabian period and the Doric Temple of Athena, the Hyblaean Mountains are the dominant mountain range in the province, sloping down to a coastline which contains stretches of white sandy beaches, cliffs, bays, and islets. Within the province lies Lago di Lentini, the largest lake in Sicily, and reputedly the largest artificial lake in Europe, there are 21 comuni in the province. The most populated as of 2005 were, Official Province website Pictures, history, tourism, gastronomy, books, local products, local surnames, transportation in the province of Syracuse
15.
Province of Ragusa
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The Province of Ragusa is a province in the autonomous region of Sicily in Italy, located in the south-east of the island. Its capital is the city of Ragusa, which is the most southerly provincial capital in Italy, from Scoglitti to Pozzallo, the Ragusan coastline is approximately 85 kilometres long. Along the Ragusan coast are many fishing villages such as Kaukana, Punta Secca, Marina di Ragusa, the Hyblaean Mountains are dominating the north of the province and its highest peaks are Monte Lauro, Monte Casale and Monte Arcibessi. The rivers of the province are the Irminio, Dirillo and Ippari, the skyline of Ragusa is punctuated by the towers, domes and cupolas of the many exquisite churches for which the province is known. The area is mostly unspoilt, as during the 19th century and early 20th century there was migration from Ragusa to the more prosperous areas of Italy. It has an area of 1,614 square kilometres and a population of 295,264. There are 12 comunes in the province, see Comunes of the Province of Ragusa, by population, they are, Some of Ragusa province has changed dramatically over the last twenty years, largely due to tourism. However, many places in Ragusa remain untouched by the last two centuries, and the atmosphere of the 18th century still pervades them, industries can be found in the towns of Ragusa and Pozzallo where are the two major industrial areas are located. In the areas around Ragusa and Modica cattle farming is at the highest levels in the region for milk, dairy, tourism seems to have now replaced the fishing industry as the principal source of employment along the coast. There are no motorways in the province and the roads are the National SS.115 that crosses from west to east. The SP.25 runs south from Ragusa to Marina di Ragusa, the 120 kilometres of railway network of the province are entirely on single track and not electrified. Regional trains run regularly connecting the major cities, Comiso Airport during the cold-war was the biggest NATO base in Europe and has recently been refurbished to be converted from military to civil airport. The Port of Pozzallo is the cargo and passengers port. The other ports are either fishing ports like Scoglitti and Donnalucata or Marinas for touristic boats like Marina di Ragusa, the cities of Ragusa, Modica and Scicli contain many examples of baroque architecture and from 2002 are part of the World Heritage. Others are Kasmenai, Akrillai, Scornavacche, Kaukana, the Roman Baths of Comiso, Castle of Donnafugata, near Ragusa, is a beautiful example of country residence of the Baron Corrado Arezzo that dominates the surrounding countryside. Castle of the Counts of Modica in Modica town centre, Castle of Naselli d’Aragona in Comiso dating to 1576. Ruins of the fortress of Parco Forza in Ispica, acate is housing the Castle of the Prince of Biscari constructed originally in 1494, it is a commanding feature of the town square. Official website The province of Ragusa Images of Ragusa Pictures, history, tourism, gastronomy, books, local products, local surnames, transportation in the province of Ragusa Ragusa on line
16.
Province of Caltanissetta
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The Province of Caltanissetta is a province in the southern part of Sicily, Italy. It contains 22 comuni, which are listed at Comuni of the Province of Caltanissetta and its coat of arms is a red crest and two green leaf stems on top with a laurel leaf on the right and a crown in the middle. The commune of Resuttano is found in an enclave of the province of Palermo near Caltanissetta between Monte Stretto and Portella del Vento. The land extends to the Gela Plain and into the Gulf of Gela, where the river of the province. Comuni of the Province of Caltanissetta Official website Pictures, history, tourism, gastronomy, books, local products, local surnames, transportation in the province of Caltanissetta
17.
Ionian Sea
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The Ionian Sea is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily, and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, all major islands in the sea belong to Greece. They are collectively referred to as the Ionian Islands, the ones being Corfu, Zakynthos, Kephalonia, Ithaca. There are ferry routes between Patras and Igoumenitsa, Greece, and Brindisi and Ancona, Italy, that cross the east and north of the Ionian Sea, and from Piraeus westward. Calypso Deep, the deepest point in the Mediterranean at −5,267 m, is located in the Ionian Sea, the sea is one of the most seismically active areas in the world. The name Ionian comes from the Greek language Ἰόνιον, Ancient Greek writers, especially Aeschylus, linked it to the myth of Io. In Ancient Greek the adjective Ionios was used as an epithet for the sea because Io swam across it, according to the Oxford Classical Dictionary, the name may derive from Ionians who sailed to the West. There were also narratives about other eponymic legendary figures, according to one version, Ionius was a son of Adrias, according to another, Ionius was a son of Dyrrhachus. When Dyrrhachus was attacked by his own brothers, Heracles, who was passing through the area, came to his aid, the corpse was cast into the sea, which thereafter was called the Ionian Sea. The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Ionian Sea as follows, On the North. A line running from the mouth of the Butrinto River in Albania, to Cape Karagol in Corfu, along the North Coast of Corfu to Cape Kephali, from the mouth of the Butrinto River in Albania down the coast of the mainland to Cape Matapan. A line from Cape Matapan to Cape Passero, the Southern point of Sicily, the East coast of Sicily and the Southeast coast of Italy to Cape Santa Maria di Leuca
18.
Province of Siracusa
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The Province of Syracuse is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Syracuse, a town which was established by Greek colonists arriving from Corinth in the eighth century B. C and it has an area of 2,109 square kilometres and a total population of 404,847. Syracuse has 8% of the Sicilian population and 8. 2% of Sicilys area, the Province of Syracuse lies in the southeastern Sicily, in southwestern Italy. It is bordered to the north and north-west by the Province of Catania to the west by the Province of Ragusa and it occupies an area of 2,109 square kilometres. The towns are particularly dense with late Baroque architecture, dates to the rebuilding of the towns which took place after the 1693 earthquake which devastated Sicily. The capital of Syracuse is an important road and rail hub of Sicily, the Park of Neapolis on the island of Ortygia is connected by three bridges to the mainland. The island contains the Maniace Castle, dated to the Swabian period and the Doric Temple of Athena, the Hyblaean Mountains are the dominant mountain range in the province, sloping down to a coastline which contains stretches of white sandy beaches, cliffs, bays, and islets. Within the province lies Lago di Lentini, the largest lake in Sicily, and reputedly the largest artificial lake in Europe, there are 21 comuni in the province. The most populated as of 2005 were, Official Province website Pictures, history, tourism, gastronomy, books, local products, local surnames, transportation in the province of Syracuse
19.
Mount Etna
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Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina and Catania. It lies above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate and it is the tallest active volcano in Europe, currently 3,329 m high, though this varies with summit eruptions. It is the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps, Etna covers an area of 1,190 km2 with a basal circumference of 140 km. This makes it by far the largest of the three volcanoes in Italy, being about two and a half times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius. Only Mount Teide in Tenerife surpasses it in the whole of the European–North-African region, Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of activity. The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the slopes of the mountain. Due to its history of recent activity and nearby population, Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations, in June 2013, it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. According to Adrian Room’s book Place-names of the World, the name Etna originated from the Phoenician word attuna meaning furnace or chimney and he dismisses the hypothesis that Etna is from the Greek αἴθω, meaning I burn, through an iotacist pronunciation. In Classical Greek, it is called Αἴτνη, a name also to Catania and the city originally known as Inessa. In Arabic, it was called جبل النار Jabal al-Nār and it is also known as Mungibeddu in Sicilian and Mongibello or Montebello in Italian. The term is not in use today, although some older people still call it this. According to another hypothesis the term Mongibello comes from the Latin Mulciber, the people of the Etna sometimes use the jargon term a muntagna, simply the mountain par excellence. Nowadays, the term Mongibello indicates the top area of the two central craters encompassing also the craters in the southeast and the northeast of the volcanic cone. Volcanic activity first took place at Etna about 500,000 years ago, about 300,000 years ago, volcanism began occurring to the southwest of the summit then, before activity moved towards the present centre 170,000 years ago. Eruptions at this time built up the first major volcanic edifice, the growth of the mountain was occasionally interrupted by major eruptions, leading to the collapse of the summit to form calderas. From about 35,000 to 15,000 years ago, Etna experienced some highly explosive eruptions, generating pyroclastic flows. Ash from these eruptions has been found as far away as south of Romes border,800 km to the north, the landslide left a large depression in the side of the volcano, known as Valle del Bove. Research published in 2006 suggested this occurred around 8000 years ago, and caused a huge tsunami and it may have been the reason the settlement of Atlit Yam, now below sea level, was suddenly abandoned around that time
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Volcano
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A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. Earths volcanoes occur because its crust is broken into 17 major, therefore, on Earth, volcanoes are generally found where tectonic plates are diverging or converging. This type of volcanism falls under the umbrella of plate hypothesis volcanism, Volcanism away from plate boundaries has also been explained as mantle plumes. These so-called hotspots, for example Hawaii, are postulated to arise from upwelling diapirs with magma from the boundary,3,000 km deep in the Earth. Volcanoes are usually not created where two plates slide past one another. Erupting volcanoes can pose hazards, not only in the immediate vicinity of the eruption. Historically, so-called volcanic winters have caused catastrophic famines, the word volcano is derived from the name of Vulcano, a volcanic island in the Aeolian Islands of Italy whose name in turn comes from Vulcan, the god of fire in Roman mythology. The study of volcanoes is called volcanology, sometimes spelled vulcanology, at the mid-oceanic ridges, two tectonic plates diverge from one another as new oceanic crust is formed by the cooling and solidifying of hot molten rock. Most divergent plate boundaries are at the bottom of the oceans, therefore, most volcanic activity is submarine, black smokers are evidence of this kind of volcanic activity. Where the mid-oceanic ridge is above sea-level, volcanic islands are formed, for example, subduction zones are places where two plates, usually an oceanic plate and a continental plate, collide. In this case, the plate subducts, or submerges under the continental plate forming a deep ocean trench just offshore. In a process called flux melting, water released from the subducting plate lowers the temperature of the overlying mantle wedge. This magma tends to be very viscous due to its high content, so it often does not reach the surface. When it does reach the surface, a volcano is formed, typical examples of this kind of volcano are Mount Etna and the volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Because tectonic plates move across them, each volcano becomes dormant and is eventually re-formed as the plate advances over the postulated plume and this theory is currently under criticism, however. The most common perception of a volcano is of a mountain, spewing lava and poisonous gases from a crater at its summit, however. The features of volcanoes are more complicated and their structure. Some volcanoes have rugged peaks formed by lava domes rather than a summit crater while others have features such as massive plateaus
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Aci Castello
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Aci Castello is a comune in the Province of Catania in Sicily, Italy. The city is located 9 kilometres north of Catania on the Mediterranean coast, the primary economic sectors are agriculture and industry. The city is neighbored by Aci Catena, Acireale, Catania, San Gregorio di Catania, the town of Aci Castello developed around the castle, which was built in 1076 by the Normans upon the foundations of a 7th-century Byzantine fortification. In 1169, Aci Castello started to expand after an eruption of Mount Etna made the towns in its vicinity uninhabitable, the castle later became the property of the bishops of Catania. When relations between the two men soured and di Lauria transferred his loyalties to the Angevins, the castle was besieged and captured by King Frederick, in 1320, the castle and Aci were taken from Rogers descendant, Margaret of Lauria and given to Blasco II de Alagona. Whilst the latter was away defending Palermo from the attacking Angevins, the Norman Castle, which was built from 1076 to 1081. It now serves as a museum The borough Aci Trezza with a beach
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Acireale
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Acireale is a coastal city and comune in the north-east of the province of Catania, Sicily, Italy, at the foot of Mount Etna, on the coast facing the Ionian Sea. Acireale is also noted for its art and paintings, the oldest academy in Sicily, according to tradition, the citys origins trace back to Xiphonia, a mysterious Greek city now completely disappeared. In Roman times, there existed another Greek town, Akis, in Ovids Metamorphoses, there is a great love between Ā́cis, the spirit of the Ā́cis River, and Galatea the sea-nymph. According to mythology, the tears of Galatea after the death of Ā́cis gave birth to the Ā́cis River, Fiume di Jaci, flowing past Acireale. In the Middle Ages, the town expanded around the castle, known as Jachium under the Byzantines, as Al-Yāj under the Arabs, in 1169, a huge earthquake scattered the population of the mainland, divided between the numerous boroughs of Aci. Another Aquilia was founded in the late 14th century further north, the only remains of the medieval Aquilia Nova is the Gothic-Lombard-styled portal of the cathedral. In the 16th century, Emperor Charles V freed the city from feudal ties, in the late 16th century, the town had between 6,000 and 7,000 inhabitants. The most ancient document mentioning the Carnival of Acireale dates to 1594, the town expanded its role as a trade center and received numerous new edifices. Acireale was nearly destroyed by an earthquake in 1693, which halted its economic growth. During the Expedition of the Thousand, which freed Sicily from the Kingdom of Naples, in 1941, it was bombed by the Allies, resulting in many civilian casualties. Acireale offers many activities, which includes art, festivals and concerts, nature, open-air markets, theater. The church of San Biagio in Acireale contains some of the relics of the Venerable Gabriele Allegra, villa Belvedere and Parco delle Terme, two large public parks and La Timpa, a beautiful natural reserve overlooking the Ionian Sea, offer great nature sights. Piazza Duomo, with its St. Peters Basilica, is in the square of the city. There are many beautiful historic Baroque buildings in town, such as Palazzo Pennisi and Palazzo Modò, which date from the 17th century, the commercial city center is primarily located in the streets including and adjacent to Corso Umberto and Corso Italia, which are the citys principal thoroughfares. The Fortezza del Tocco, a 16th-century fort, has converted to a nature reserve. Acireale is famous throughout Sicily for its spectacular floats, costumes, and parades during the carnival season, Acireale is twinned with, Mar del Plata, Argentina Viareggio, Italy Site about Carnival of Acireale - The Best Carnival in Sicily
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Adrano
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Adrano, ancient Adranon, is a town and comune in the province of Catania on the east coast of Sicily. It is situated around 41 kilometres northwest of Catania, which is also the capital of the province to which Adrano belongs and it lies near the foot of Mount Etna, at the confluence of the Simeto and Salso rivers. It is the center for a region where olives and citrus fruit are grown. Neighbouring towns include, Biancavilla, Bronte, Paternò, Randazzo, Santa Maria di Licodia, the settlement was founded by Dionysius the Elder around 400 BC, intending to strengthen Syracusan power in the region. He named the town Adranon in honour of Adranus, a deity of Phoenician origin, in 344 BC the troops of Timoleon fought the forces of the Syracusan commander Iketas of Leontini near Adrano. During the following years, Adrano was frequently harried by Campanian mercenaries, the Romans conquered the growing township in 263 BC and declared it a civitas stipendiaria, obliging it to pay a costly tribute to Rome. The consul Valerius ravaged the town, enslaved the inhabitants and sold them as workers, in 137 BC, Eunus led an unsuccessful slave revolt against the Roman suppressors, and from then on, Adrano was nothing more than part of Centuripe. The Romans referred to the city as Adranum or Hadranum, the township was pillaged several times by Germanic tribes during the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Only through the reign of Theodoric the Great, the conditions improved due to the administration by Cassiodorus, in the mid-6th century it was conquered by the Eastern Roman Empire. Around 950, the Arab Musa occupied the city of Centuripe and its vicinity, several of their buildings and structures, like the Ponte dei Saraceni can still be visited around the region. The Arabs reigned the region until in 1075 the Normans, led by Hugo of Yersey, Adrano became part of the Diocese of Catania, administered by the monk Ansgerius. The citizens of the prospering township continued the agricultural and economic work the Arabs had initiated. Therefore, the Norman era was enormously influenced by winegrowing, leather work, the arrival of the Hohenstaufen around the end of the 12th century brought enduring difficulties and disputes over Sicily and its inhabitants. The remaining Arabs were vehemently pursued by the administration, which forced them to gather inside the fortresses of Troina, Entella and Centuripe, the insurrection was ended violently, and the survivors were massacred or kidnapped. Pope Clement IV made Charles of Anjou king of Sicily in 1265, during that time, Adrano was rather a small settlement of hunters, and the number of inhabitants had decreased from 1,000 to 300. In 1282, the Sicilian Vespers ended the French reign in Sicily, the following years were characterized by constant conflicts between the residing farmers and the Bourgeoisie of the region. Adrano fell to the property of the Catalonian landholder Garzia de Linguida, the estates and soils of the region were subject to immense disputes between several landowners and noblemen in the following time until the 15th century. From the 15th century on, Sicily was reigned by the socalled vice kings, between 1412 and 1515, Adrano was under administration by the Moncada family
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Biancavilla
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Biancavilla is a town and comune in the Province of Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It is located between the towns of Adrano and S. Maria di Licodia,32 kilometres northwest of Catania, the town was founded on 8 January 1488 by Albanian refugees. Led by Cesare Masi, they arrived in an area called Callicari and received the Licentia Populandi privilege from Santapau and Centelles, therefore, Albanian people established in that area and founded the town. The area was subsequently called Albavilla until in the year 1599 the name became Biancavilla
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Calatabiano
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Calatabiano is a comune in the province of Catania in Sicily, southern Italy. Calatabiano is located about 60 metres above the sea level and it is located about 42 kilometres northeast of Catania. About 58 kilometres southwest of Messina and about 175 kilometres east of Palermo, the population is about 75% in the center of the town, and about 25% is located in Pasteria Lapide. Calatabiano borders the municipalities, Castiglione di Sicilia, Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, Giardini-Naxos, Linguaglossa, Piedimonte Etneo. The municipality of Calatabiano is a part of Parco fluviale dellAlcantara, the history of Calatabiano is closely linked to its castle, located 160 meters above the sea level. Calatabiano Castle was founded by the Arabs, who moved from Calatabiano to conquer Taormina in 902, the Arab presence in Calatabiano is clearly visible from the name of the town, which is divided in قلعة and to Bian, likely name of the local lord. After the death of Frederick II, the castle was given to Giovanni Moro by Conrad IV, in 1254, the Pope gave to Giovanni Moro some possessions, including Calatabiano Castle, in exchange for guarantee military aid in the defense of the Kingdom of Sicily. The Cruyllas enlarged the castle and built the church of Santissimo Crocifisso, in 1544 the pirate Dragut landed on the shore of San Marco beach, stormed and ransacked the village. In 1693 due to the earthquake felt in Sicily and Malta accompanied by the eruption of Mount Etna, in 1813 the Sicilian parliament marked the end of feudalism in the island. In the same year Calatabiano was declared a municipality, the boundaries has been maintained until this day. Thanks to the excavations done between the end of the century and the beginning of the next century, there has been found traces of a castle in the Byzantine era. Because of its military importance, Swabians and Aragonese improved the Castle’s defence. The Cruyllas enlarged the fortress up to its current size, “Salone dei Cruyllas” and the entry portal are the most interesting places inside the Castle. In the last few decades the castle has been renovated and became a tourist attraction, bars, pizzerias and conference rooms has been built inside the castle in a modern style. The castle could be reached by a road or by a cable car that was built during the restoration of the castle in 2011. The church of Santissimo Crocifisso is the first church of Calatabiano and its Gothic style has a massive crenellated bell tower and two ogival entrances, west and south. Inside the church there is a statue of St. Philip Syriac, in the bell tower, on the west wall, there is a fresco of the Madonna and Child. The fresco from the early 500 is likely to get a permanent damage because of the humidity, the church of Madre di Maria Santissima Annunziata was built in 1740 with a single nave
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Caltagirone
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Caltagirone is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Catania, on the island of Sicily, southern Italy, about 70 kilometres southwest of Catania. It is bounded by the comuni of Acate, Gela, Grammichele, Licodia Eubea, Mazzarino, Mazzarrone, Mineo, Mirabella Imbaccari, Niscemi, Piazza Armerina, the city is a production center of pottery, particularly maiolica and terra-cotta wares. Nowadays the production is more and more oriented to artistic production of ceramics, other activities are mainly related to agriculture. The citys name derives from the Arabic qalat-al-jarar - a name that attests to the antiquity of the works which are still thriving. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times, as shown by the presence of two necropolises dating from the second millennium BCE and by other archaeological finds. It was later inhabited by the Sicels pre-Roman population, the Arabs built a castle here that in 1030 was attacked by Ligurian troops under the Byzantine general George Maniakes, who have left traces of Ligurian language in the current dialect. The city flourished under the Norman and Hohenstaufen domination, becoming a center for production of ceramics. The city was almost completely destroyed by the earthquake of 1693, many public and private buildings have then been reconstructed in earthquake Baroque style. Primarily for this reason the city has been included, together with the surrounding territory, the municipality borders with Acate, Gela, Grammichele, Licodia Eubea, Mazzarino, Mazzarrone, Mineo, Mirabella Imbaccari, Niscemi, Piazza Armerina and San Michele di Ganzaria. A collection of ancient and modern pottery and terra-cotta, dating back to the Magna Grecia period, is available in the local Museum of Pottery, created in 1965. The main landmark of the city is the 142-step monumental Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte, the peculiarity is that each step is decorated with different hand-decorated ceramics, using styles and figures derived from the millennial tradition of pottery making. Religious buildings include, The Cathedral of St. Julian, of Norman origin, the Baroque church of San Francesco di Paola. The sacristy is in Gothic style, dating from before the 1693 earthquake, San Francesco dAssisi, edified in 1236 and rebuilt in Baroque style after 1693. The façade has two orders with marine symbols and a statue of the Immaculate, the façade has eight statues portraying saints and the Madonna with Child. The interior, one a single nave, houses a Pietà by Filippo Paladino, the Renaissance Church of the New Capuchins, in white stone, with a noteworthy treasure and a picture gallery. Also noteworthy is the Palazzo Senatorio, the former Town Hall, don Luigi Sturzo, founder of the Italian Peoples Party. Mario Scelba, Minister of the Interior and Prime Minister of Italy from February 1954 to July 1955, silvio Milazzo, President of the Regional Government of Sicily from 1958-1960. Vincent Drucci Chicago North Side Gang boss, born here in 1898, giuseppe Mascara football player, born here in 1979
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Camporotondo Etneo
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Camporotondo Etneo is a comune in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 160 km southeast of Palermo and about 8 km northwest of Catania. As of 31 December 2010, it had a population of 4,464, the historical origins of the comune of Camporotondo Etneo go back to the 17th century when the marquise Diego Reitano obtained its property from Antonio Reitano. At that time the name of the town was not Camporotondo Etneo, Reitano was married with Teresa Mauroli, a noblewoman originary from Messina. In 1730, Camporotondo was a marquisate and, in 1733, in the 17th century, the high number of eruptions deeply altered the morphology of the land surrounding Camporeale leading to the decision to change the town name into Camporotondo. The municipality of Camporotondo Etneo contains the frazione Piano Tavola, Camporotondo Etneo borders the following municipalities, Belpasso, Misterbianco, Motta SantAnastasia, San Pietro Clarenza
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Castiglione di Sicilia
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Castiglione di Sicilia is a comune in the Province of Catania in Sicily. Castiglione di Sicilia lies about 160 kilometres east of Palermo and about 40 kilometres north of Catania, as of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,574 and an area of 120.5 square kilometres. The municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia contains the frazioni Gravà, Mitogio, Passopisciaro, Rovittello, Solicchiata, Verzella, Passopisciaro is situated 12 kilometres from Castiglione di Sicilia, at 645 metres above sea level on the northern slopes of Mt. Etna. Nowadays Passopisciaro has a population of about 500 but in years gone by the population was as high as 1,500 people, the village can be reached by taking the SS120 Roman road from Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, or by the Circumetnea Railway. Passopisciaros main industry is making, vineyards can be found scattered throughout the entire region. Castiglione di Sicilia is twinned with, Killarney, Ireland Tauves, France
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Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
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Fiumefreddo di Sicilia is a comune on the coast of the Ionian Sea on the island of Sicily. It shares its borders with the municipalities of Calatabiano to the north, Mascali to the south, the commune gets its name from the Fiumefreddo River which runs alongside the territory of the comune. The word fiumefreddo means literally cold river, a reference to the fact that the river is fed by snow melts from Mount Etna, Fiumefreddo di Sicilia is near the major Etna tourist centres. The SS120 to Mt Etna and Randazzo start from there, Fiumefreddo di Sicilia is situated in the Province of Catania and it was so named to distinguish it from Fiumefreddo Bruzio, in the Province of Cosenza. Currently the town has almost 10,000 inhabitants, Fiumefreddo stands along the SS114 and A18, both roads run from Catania to Messina. Fiumefreddo di Sicilia is in the heart of an important road and railway network, near Taormina and Acireale and not far from Catania and its strategical position, has been enhanced by the opening of the motorway junction. This has reemphasised Fiumefreddos role in the area, the most important part of Fiumefreddo stands along the SS114, where, in the 1700s, the old shops of the Prince of Palagonia stood. Together with other towns, such as Giarre, Riposto, Piedimonte Etneo, Linguaglossa, Castiglione di Sicilia, Mascali and Calatabiano, Fiumefreddo forms the electorate of Giarre. Fiumefreddo is bounded by the Ionian Sea to the East, by Calatabiano to the North, by Piedimonte Etneo to the West and by Mascali to the South. Its municipal territory is flat, especially along the coast, where there is the Marina di Cottone beach. Fiumefreddo is so named after the river runs through it, whose natural habitat, with its exceptionally cold water, has allowed the development of typical river flora. In order to protect this natural environment, the Sicilian Region. 205185, has instituted a protected area, The Nature Reserve of The River Fiumefreddo and this river runs across a plain. Here Cluverio said Greeks founded Nasso, although some historians had placed Naxos on Cape Schisò, ancient writers described the new town as set up between two rivers, the Onobola on the North and the Akesine on the South. By identifying the first river with the Alcantara, the second is most likely Fiumefreddo and this theory has been borne out by Bochard, who found an etymological correspondence of the name Akesine to that of Fiumefreddo. The name of the ancient river may have been born indeed as a corruption of the word Akesine that probably derived from a Syriac word, hassim, which means cold river. This theory was so repeated that someone managed to see even the ancient Nasso, holm succeeded in discrediting this theory. He proved that Onobola is the torrent Sìrina, it flows down to the sea near Giardini railway station and he also established that the Akesine is Alcantara
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Giarre
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Giarre is an Italian town and comune on the east coast of Sicily in the province of Catania. In 2010 its population was 27,785, some historians suppose that the ancient Greek city of Kallipolis was situated in the same territory of the present-day town of Giarre, but nowadays there is no relevant proof of it. Since the late 16th century until 1815 Giarre was a village of the county of Mascali, during the fascist era Giarre was joined to Riposto under the name of Jonia, but separated again in 1945. Giarre is bounded by the municipalities of Acireale, Mascali, Milo, Riposto, SantAlfio and it forms a conurbation with the coastal town of Riposto. Its frazioni are Altarello, Carruba, Macchia, Miscarello, San Giovanni Montebello, San Leonardello, Santa Maria la Strada, Sciara, the neo-classical cathedral, begun in 1794, is dedicated to the Spaniard St. Isidore, patron of Madrid. Other sights include, Oratory of St. Filippo Neri Sanctuary of Maria Santissima della Strada, today little remains of the original medieval structure, having been replaced by a neoclassicist edifice. Cismon del Grappa, Italy, since 1969 Giarre F. C. Giarre-Riposto Media related to Giarre at Wikimedia Commons
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Grammichele
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Grammichele is a town and comune in the province of Catania in Sicily, southern Italy. It is located at the feet of the Hyblaean Mountains, some 13 kilometres from Caltagirone, the town was built in 1693, after the destruction by an earthquake of the old town of Occhialà, located to the north of the modern Grammichele. Being laid out on a street plan, it is one of several Val di Noto towns with distinctive layouts. On July 15,1943, the 1st Canadian Infantry Division fought its first battle against German troops during the Battle of Sicily at Grammichele, the name of the town was later granted as a Battle Honour to three regiments of the Canadian Forces. To the east of Grammichele a cave shrine of Demeter, with fine votive terracottas, has been discovered, other sights include the Mother Church, dedicated to St. Michael, and the church of the Calvary. This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh
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Licodia Eubea
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Licodia Eubea is a town and comune in the province of Catania, on the island of Sicily. It is bounded by the comuni of Caltagirone, Chiaramonte Gulfi, Giarratana, Grammichele, Mazzarrone, Mineo, Monterosso Almo and it rises over an internal hilly area,630 metres above sea level. Cattle breeding, as well as horse, sheep, and goat farms, are flourishing, the name Licodia derives from the Greek word Licos meaning wolf, which is why its Coat-of-Arms has a picture of a wolf. The suburb belonged to lord Riccardo Filangieri, and was bestowed to nobleman Manfredi Aragona. Vases of the First Period were found and all the tombs explored in 1898 belonged to the Fourth Period, and show the gradual process of Hellenization among the Sicels. In 1392, the ancient castle was bestowed to the Santapau family, that gave it its name and owned it until the 16th century, in 1693, the town was devastated by the earthquake, and experienced a slow reconstruction. In 1968, the Licodia Eubea Social Club was established in Victoria, Australia, santa Pau, Spain Euboea, island in Greece Official website This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh, ed. article name needed
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Linguaglossa
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Linguaglossa is a town and comune in the Province of Catania in Italy, located on the northern side of Mount Etna where there is also a ski resort with view on the Ionian sea. It was founded on a stream in 1566. The name Lingua Glossa literally means Tongue Tongue, with Lingua being the Italian word for Tongue, sights of Linguaglossa include the Chiesa Madre, also known as La Matrice, erected in 1613, and the Chiesa di S. Egidio, who is the towns patron saint. Black Beach, The Mucklands of Canastota, New York
Italy
