A trabeation is a horizontal architectural element placed above the columns that evenly distributes the weight of the upper structures and reinforces the lower ones....

The Cathedral of Catania was deliberately built in an area near the sea so that its structure could better serve a dual purpose. Both religious and defensive, it was nicknamed the ecclesia munita, meaning fortified church. It was largely destroyed by the earthquake of 1693 and only the apses remain...

A semi-dome, or apsidal vault, is a vaulted structure placed on top of the apse. It is usually found in churches behind the altar of the naves....

An apse is an architectural structure in a semi-circular or polygonal shape. It is located in churches at the end of the main nave or, if the church has a central plan, in front of the entrance, where the main altar is usually located. The apse is covered by a vault, called the apsidal vault, which...

The Simeto and the Amenano are the two rivers of the city of Catania. They are allegorically depicted by two statues carved on the base of the Fountain of the Elephant. ...

The Catanese Liotru (elephant) is a clear reference to Roman Baroque. Bernini's work was erected by Pope Alexander VII in 1667 as a symbol of Divine Wisdom. The obelisk was inspired by a drawing contained in an allegorical romance, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, written by the Dominican friar Francesc...

"Lu diotru" or "Liotru" (the elephant), which takes its name from the mythical story of Heliodorus, bears the weight of the obelisk in the centre of the square. It was probably built in the Byzantine era and placed below the archway of the city loggia as an entrance to the public palace; with Freder...

Giovanni Battista Vaccarini was born in Palermo in 1702. He came from a family of artisans related to architects, studied the new Roman architecture and embarked on a religious career. During his experience in Catania, he brought his ideas to life through an innovative language. He merged the Baro...

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 th...

The Quattro Canti are unique squares formed by the intersection of two main streets. The square is defined by the overlooking façades of the buildings, which seem to embrace the space. After the earthquake, a Quattro Canti square was also built in Catania. The first to be built were those in Pal...