The architects of the time had learned that round shapes, especially apses, were better at withstanding the stresses of earthquakes, while more angular shapes tended to give way more easily. Undulating façades were also built for this reason, as they were more resistant....

In churches or civic buildings, the nave is the internal space. It can be divided into one or several naves separated by columns or pillars....

In architecture, the tympanum is a triangular area closed off by a frame called a pediment. It is located where the roof meets....

St. Agatha is the patron saint of Catania. The city organises festivities in her name that last three days between the 3rd and 5th of February. St. Agatha was a martyr; she had herself killed to avoid renouncing her faith in God. The young girl was captured and tortured before she died. She was ...

A niche, from the Latin nidus meaning "nest", is a cavity carved into a wall, a space where statues and other items are placed. It can be semi-circular, rectangular or polygonal....

The apse is an architectural structure in a semi-circular or polygonal shape. It is the end part of a church, where the main altar is located. The name comes from the Latin apsis or Greek hapsis, meaning "arch" or "vault"....

The elephant, or "Lu diotru" or "Liotru" as the people of Catania call it, is the symbol of the city, positioned below the obelisk in the middle of the square. It was probably built in the Byzantine era and placed outside the city walls. Under the rule of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, it was p...

The Platea Magna was the ancient square of Catania. One metre below current street level, it was filled with the remains of the rubble after the tragic earthquake. Before 1693, the Cathedral of Catania, the town hall, the Bishop's Palace, the Seminary of the Clerics and the city jail overlooked ...