2DF Germany: Antonio Presti - Fondazione Fiumara d'Arte - Art Hotel Atelier sul Mare
The Tusa Fiumara is the bed of an old river that a long time ago flowed among the Nebrodi mountains fir twenty-one kilometers as far as the ancient Hales, a river which is dry and only in winter has the character of a stream in a landscape that alternates stony desolation and stretches of luxuriant vegetation, and where you climb up to a place that affords remarkable views between the big mountains and the distant sea.
The idea of Fiumara d'Arte arose in 1983, when the sudden death of his father forced Antonio Presti to interrupt a carefree youth and his engineering studies and to go back to Tusa to manage his father's cement works. Burdened with responsibilities and shaken by his loss and the impact with death, Presti, who already collected contemporary art, thought of dedicating a monument to the memory of his father and turned to the sculptor Pietro Consagra, who had already done big works at Gibellina, rebuilt after 1968 earthquake and transformed by its mayor into a town of art. He at once though about making it something more that a merely private matter, a stele in his own garden, and of donating the sculpture to the community and the thought of placing it at the mouth of the torrent, a landscape dear to his childhood and one in which his father had spent his life. The project soon broadened, and although the workers of his firm worked on the construction of the enormous abstract sculpture convinced that it represented two hands joined in prayer, Presti was already thinking about giving life to a sculpture park blending the contemporary with the rugged beauty of the place.
The inauguration of Presti's sculpture, on 12 October 1986, coincided with the announcement of the open-air museum, with the consensus of the mayors of the area who were present with many authorities at the event. However, as a precaution, the Mayor of Tusa, as mentioned, after a report from the Messina Superintendence sent an order to suspend the work.
Meanwhile Presti had already contacted another sculptor, Paolo Schiavocampo, from whom he commissioned a sculpture to place at the junction of the road leading to Castel di Lucio and an old country road, and the added it as an urban feature to the project for remaking the road for which his firm had a contract.
He also involved the painter Tano Festa: during a visit to the latter, he discovered his sketch for Monument to a Dead Poet, dedicated to his brother Francesco Lo Savio, which he decided to realize in a monumental size on the seafront at Margi, to the enthusiasm of the already sick artist and with the consensus of the council of Reitano, which with a deliberation authorized the construction because of the renown of the artists and the boosting of the territory with a work entirely at the expense of the proposing.
Schiavocampo's work had a fascinating title. A Curve Thrown at the Back of Time [Una curva gettata alle spalle del tempo] on 30 January 1988, at the same time as a sculpture competition for artists aged under forty organized by Presti, who got together an international jury made up of Manfredi Fath, the director of the Mannheim museum, Fath Oriol Bohigas, a renowned Spanish architect, Elisabeth Gall, a town planner from Barcelona, Hélène Lassalle of the direction of French museums, Giovanni Joppolo, Parigi editor of the art Magazine Opus Intérnational, Lucia Matino of PAC in Milan, the Messina critic Lucio Barbera and the architect Patrizia Merlino. Fifty-five sketches were submitted. The ones chosen were the one by the Sicilian Carlo Lauricella -- this was not actually done because of opposition from the Council of Santo Stefano di Camastra where it should have been placed -- and those of Antonio Di Palma (Florence) and Italo Lanfredini (Mantova).
Messina | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:01:53 1 History
00:08:04 2 Climate
00:08:46 3 Government
00:08:55 4 Main sights
00:09:04 4.1 Religious architecture
00:12:13 4.2 Civil and military architecture
00:13:42 4.3 Monuments
00:14:34 4.4 Museums
00:15:07 5 Sports team
00:15:23 6 People
00:18:49 7 Literary references
00:20:25 8 See also
00:21:08 9 Notes
00:21:17 10 Sources
00:21:26 11 External links
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SUMMARY
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Messina (, also US: , Italian: [mesˈsiːna] (listen); Sicilian: Missina [mɪsˈsiːna]; Latin: Messana; Ancient Greek: Μεσσήνη, romanized: Messḗnē) is the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 231,000 inhabitants in the city proper and about 650,000 in the Metropolitan City. It is located near the northeast corner of Sicily, at the Strait of Messina, opposite Villa San Giovanni on the mainland, and has close ties with Reggio Calabria. According to Eurostat the FUA of the metropolitan area of Messina has, in 2014, 277,584 inhabitants.
The city's main resources are its seaports (commercial and military shipyards), cruise tourism, commerce, and agriculture (wine production and cultivating lemons, oranges, mandarin oranges, and olives). The city has been a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and Archimandrite seat since 1548 and is home to a locally important international fair. The city has the University of Messina, founded in 1548 by Ignatius of Loyola.
Messina has a light rail system, Tranvia di Messina, opened on 3 April 2003. This line is 7.7 kilometres (4.8 mi) and links the city's central railway station with the city centre and harbour.
The city is home to a significant Greek-speaking minority, rooted in its history and officially recognised.
Patton Reincarnation
Scene from Patton about reincarnation for class
Taormina
Focusing on Taormina, Jewel of Sicily, presented by Alessandro Sorbello the Sensational Sicily Series of Films showcase one of the most beautiful regions on earth, rich in history, Sicily formed part of the cradle of civilization.
A project born from a collaboration between the Region of Sicily The Italian Chamber of Commerce, New Realm Media and Alessandro Sorbello Productions.
Taormina (Greek: Ταυρομένιον - Tauromenion; Latin Tauromenium) is a comune and small town on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy, in the Province of Messina, about midway between Messina (ancient Messana) and Catania (ancient Catana). Taormina has been a very popular tourist destination since the 19th century. It has popular beaches (accessible via an aerial tramway) on the Ionian sea, which is remarkably warm and the has a high salt content. Taormina can be reached via highways (autostrada) from Messina from the north and Catania from the south.
Comuni of the Province of Messina in Sicily.
Acquedolci | Alcara li Fusi | Alì | Alì Terme | Antillo | Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto | Basicò | Brolo | Capizzi | Capo d'Orlando | Capri Leone | Caronia | Casalvecchio Siculo | Castel di Lucio | Castell'Umberto | Castelmola | Castroreale | Cesarò | Condrò | Falcone | Ficarra | Fiumedinisi | Floresta | Fondachelli-Fantina | Forza d'Agrò | Francavilla di Sicilia | Frazzanò | Furci Siculo | Furnari | Gaggi | Galati Mamertino | Gallodoro | Giardini-Naxos | Gioiosa Marea | Graniti | Gualtieri Sicaminò | Itala | Leni | Letojanni | Librizzi | Limina | Lipari | Longi | Malfa | Malvagna | Mandanici | Mazzarrà Sant'Andrea | Merì | Messina | Milazzo | Militello Rosmarino | Mirto | Mistretta | Mojo Alcantara | Monforte San Giorgio | Mongiuffi Melia | Montagnareale | Montalbano Elicona | Motta Camastra | Motta d'Affermo | Naso | Nizza di Sicilia | Novara di Sicilia | Oliveri | Pace del Mela | Pagliara | Patti | Pettineo | Piraino | Raccuja | Reitano | Roccafiorita | Roccalumera | Roccavaldina | Roccella Valdemone | Rodì Milici | Rometta | San Filippo del Mela | San Fratello | San Marco d'Alunzio | San Pier Niceto | San Piero Patti | San Salvatore di Fitalia | Santa Domenica Vittoria | Sant'Agata di Militello | Sant'Alessio Siculo | Santa Lucia del Mela | Santa Marina Salina | Sant'Angelo di Brolo | Santa Teresa di Riva | San Teodoro | Santo Stefano di Camastra | Saponara | Savoca | Scaletta Zanclea | Sinagra | Spadafora | Taormina | Terme Vigliatore | Torregrotta | Torrenova | Tortorici | Tripi | Tusa | Ucria | Valdina | Venetico | Villafranca Tirrena
History - Taormina 's coastal location, facing Greece, between the powerful cities of Syracuse and Catana to the south, and Messana (and behind it, mainland Italy) to the north, determined much of its history. It is only about 5 km from the site of the ancient Naxos, and there is no doubt that Tauromenium did not exist as a city till after the destruction of Naxos by Dionysius I of Syracuse, 403 BCE; but the circumstances connected with its foundation are somewhat confused and uncertain.
It appears, however, from Diodorus that after the destruction of Naxos, the remaining inhabitants of that city were driven into exile, and its territory was assigned by Dionysius to the neighbouring Siculi. These, however, did not re-occupy the site of the ancient city, but established themselves on a hill to the north of it, which was called the hill of Taurus (ὁ λόφος ὁ καλούμενος Ταῦρος). Here they at first constructed only a temporary camp (in 396 BCE), but afterwards erected walls and converted it into a regular fortress or town, to which they gave the name of Tauromenium. (Diod. xiv. 58, 59.)
The place was still in the hands of the Siculi in 394 BCE, and they held it against the efforts of Dionysius, who besieged the city in vain for a great part of the winter, and though he on one occasion forced his way within the walls by a nocturnal surprise, was again driven out and repulsed with heavy loss. (Id. 87, 88.) But by the peace concluded in 392 BCE, it was expressly stipulated that Tauromenium should be subject to Dionysius, who expelled the greater part of the Siculi that had settled there, and supplied their place with his own mercenaries. (Id. 96.)
From this time we hear no more of Tauromenium till 358 BCE, when we are told that Andromachus, the father of the historian Timaeus, brought together all the remains of the exiled Naxians, who were still scattered about in different parts of Sicily, and established them all at Tauromenium. (Id. xvi. 7.) This is related by Diodorus as if it were a new foundation, and even as if the name had then first been applied to the city, which is in direct contradiction with his former statements. What had become of the former inhabitants we know not, but there is little doubt that the account of this resettlement of the city is substantially correct, and that Tauromenium now for the first time became a Greek city, which was considered as taking the place of Naxos, though it did not occupy the same site. (Wesseling, ad Diod. xiv. 59.) Hence Pliny's expression, that Tauromenium had formerly been called Naxos (Plin. iii. 8. s. 14) is nearly, though not strictly, correct.
The new settlement seems to have risen rapidly to prosperity, and was apparently already a considerable town at the time of the expedition of Timoleon in 345 BCE. It was the first place in Sicily where that leader landed, having eluded the vigilance of the Carthaginians, who were guarding the Straits of Messina, and crossed direct from Rhegium (modern Reggio di Calabria) to Tauromenium. (Diod. xvi. 68; Plut. Timol. 10.) The city was at that time still under the government of Andromachus, whose mild and equitable administration is said to have presented a strong contrast with that of the despots and tyrants of the other Sicilian cities.
He welcomed Timoleon with open arms, and afforded him a secure resting place until he was enabled to carry out his plans in other parts of Sicily. (Diod. l. c.; Plut. l. c.) It is certain that Andromachus was not deprived of the chief power, when all the other tyrants were expelled by Timoleon, but was permitted to retain it undisturbed till his death. (Marcellin. Vit. Thucyd. § 27.)
We hear, however, very little of Tauromenium for some time after this. It is probable that it passed under the authority of Agathocles, who drove the historian Timaeus into exile; and some time after this it was subject to a domestic despot of the name of Tyndarion, who was contemporary with Hicetas of Syracuse and Phintias of Agrigentum. (Diod. xxii. Exc. H. p. 495.) Tyndarion was one of those who concurred in inviting Pyrrhus into Sicily (278 BCE), and when that monarch landed with his army at Tauromenium, joined him with all his forces, and supported him in his march upon Syracuse. (Diod. l. c. pp. 495, 496.)
A few years later we find that Tauromenium had fallen into the power of Hieron of Syracuse, and was employed by him as a stronghold in the war against the Mamertines. (Id. p. 497.) It was also one of the cities which was left under his dominion by the by the treaty concluded with him by the Romans in 263 BCE. (Diod. xxiii. p. 502.) This is doubtless the reason that its name is not again mentioned during the First Punic War.
There is no doubt that Tauromenium continued to form a part of the kingdom of Syracuse till the death of Hieron, and that it only passed under the government of Rome when the whole island of Sicily was reduced to a Roman province; but we have scarcely any account of the part it took during the Second Punic War, though it would appear, from a hint in Appian (Sic. 5), that it submitted to Marcellus on favorable terms; and it is probable that it was on that occasion it obtained the peculiarly favored position it enjoyed under the Roman dominion. For we learn from Cicero that Tauromenium was one of the three cities in Sicily which enjoyed the privileges of a civitas foederata or allied city, thus retaining a nominal independence, and was not even subject, like Messana, to the obligation of furnishing ships of war when called upon. (Cic. Verr. ii. 6. 6, iii. 6, v. 19.)
But the city suffered severe calamities during the Servile War in Sicily, 134-132 BCE, having fallen into the hands of the insurgent slaves, who, on account of the great strength of its position, made it one of their chief posts, and were able for a long time to defy the arms of the consul Rupilius. They held out until they were reduced to the most fearful extremities by famine, when the citadel was at length betrayed into the hands of the consul by one of their leaders named Sarapion, and the whole of the survivors put to the sword. (Diod. xxxiv. Exc. Phot. p. 528; Oros. v. 9.) Tauromenium again bore a conspicuous part during the wars of Sextus Pompeius in Sicily, and, from its strength as a fortress, was one of the principal points of the position which he took up in 36 BCE, for defence against Octavian.
It became the scene also of a sea-fight between a part of the fleet of Octavian, commanded by the triumvir in person, and that of Pompeius, which terminated in the defeat and almost total destruction of the former. (Appian, B.C. v. 103, 105, 106-11, 116; Dion Cass. xlix. 5.) In the settlement of Sicily after the defeat of Pompey, Tauromenium was one of the places selected by Augustus to receive a Roman colony, probably as a measure of precaution, on account of the strength of its situation, as we are told that he expelled the former inhabitants to make room for his new colonists. (Diod, xvi. 7.)
Strabo speaks of it as one of the cities on the east coast of Sicily that was still subsisting in his time, though inferior in population both to Messana and Catana. (Strab. vi. pp. 267, 268.) Both Pliny and Ptolemy assign it the rank of a colonia (Plin. iii. 8. s. 14; Ptol. iii. 4. § 9), and it seems to have been one of the few cities of Sicily that continued under the Roman Empire to be a place of some consideration. Its territory was noted for the excellence of its wine (Plin. xiv. 6. s. 8), and produced also a kind of marble which seems to have been highly valued. (Athen. v. p. 207.) Juvenal also speaks of the sea off its rocky coast as producing the choicest mullets. (Juv. v. 93.)
The Itineraries place Tauromenium 32 miles from Messana, and the same distance from Catana. (Itin. Ant. p. 90; Tab. Peut.) It continued after the fall of the Roman Empire to be one of the more considerable towns of Sicily, and from the strength of its position was one of the last places that was retained by the Greek emperors; but it was taken by the Saracens in 906 after a siege of two years, and totally destroyed.
In the late 19th century Taormina gained some prominence as the place where Wilhelm von Gloeden worked most of his life as a photographer of predominantly male nudes. Also credited for making Taormina popular was Otto Geleng, best known in his hometown of Berlin for his fine paintings, which he composed and painted in Italy but exhibited in Germany.
What distinguishes Geleng, however, is his choice to depict the more southern regions where he captured the spectacular views and light of Sicily. He often painted the area's Greek colonial ruins, including Taormina .Taormina 's first important tourist was Johann Wolfgang Goethe who dedicated exalting pages to the city in his book entitled Journey to Italy, but perhaps it was Geleng's views that made its beauty talked about throughout Europe and turned the site into a famous tourist center. The artist arrived in Sicily at the age of 20 in search of new subjects for his paintings.
On his way through Taormina he was so enamoured by the landscape that he decided to stop for part of the winter. Geleng began to paint everything that Taormina offered: ruins, sea, mountains, none of which were familiar to the rest of Europe. When his paintings were later exhibited in Berlin and Paris, many critics accused Geleng of having an 'unbridled imagination'. At that, Geleng challenged them all to go to Taormina with him, promising that he would pay everyone's expenses if he were not telling the truth.
During the early 20th century the town became a colony of expatriate artists, writers, and intellectuals. D. H. Lawrence stayed here at the Fontana Vecchia from 1920 to 1922, and wrote a number of his poems, novels, short stories, and essays, and a travel book, Sea and Sardinia. Charles Webster Leadbeater, the theosophical author, found out that Taormina had the right magnetics fields for Jiddu Krishnamurti to develop his talents, so the young Krishnamurti dwelt here from time to time. Halldór Laxness, the Icelandic author, worked here on the first modern Icelandic novel, Vefarinn mikli frá Kasmír.
Ruins and archaeology
The teatro greco, the Greek theatre, the present town of Taormina occupies the ancient site, on a lofty hill which forms the last projecting point of the mountain ridge that extends along the coast from Cape Pelorus to this point. The site of the old town is about 300 m above the sea, while a very steep and almost isolated rock, crowned by a Saracen castle, rises about 150 m higher: this is undoubtedly the site of the ancient Arx or citadel, the inaccessible position of which is repeatedly alluded to by ancient writers. Portions of the ancient walls may be traced at intervals all round the brow of the hill, the whole of the summit of which was evidently occupied by the ancient city. Numerous fragments of ancient buildings are scattered over its whole surface, including extensive reservoirs of water, sepulchres, tesselated pavements, etc., and the remains of a spacious edifice, commonly called a Naumachia, but the real destination of which it is difficult to determine.
But by far the most remarkable monument remaining at Taormina is the ancient theatre (the teatro greco, the Greek theatre), which is one of the most celebrated ruins in Sicily, on account both of its remarkable preservation and of the surpassing beauty of its situation. It is built for the most part of brick, and is therefore probably of Roman date, though the plan and arrangement are in accordance with those of Greek, rather than Roman, theatres; whence it is supposed that the present structure was rebuilt upon the foundations of an older theatre of the Greek period.
With a diameter of 109 metres (after an expansion in the 2nd century), this theatre is the second largest of its kind in Sicily (after that of Syracuse); it is frequently used for operatic and theatrical performances and for concerts. The greater part of the original seats have disappeared, but the wall which surrounded the whole cavea is preserved, and the proscenium with the back wall of the scena and its appendages, of which only traces remain in most ancient theatres, are here preserved in singular integrity, and contribute much to the picturesque effect, as well as to the interest, of the ruin. From the fragments of architectural decorations still extant we learn that it was of the Corinthian order, and richly ornamented. Some portions of a temple are also visible, converted into the church of San Pancrazio, but the edifice is of small size.
Culture and tourism
The David di Donatello Taormina Film Festival has been held for over fifty years, with international film stars viewing films on a screen erected in the Greek theatre.
Just south of Taormina is the Isola Bella, a nature reserve. Tours of the Capo Sant' Andrea grottos are also available. Taormina is built on an extremely hilly coast, and is approximately a forty-five minute drive away from Europe's largest active volcano, Mount Etna.
In 1927 the young Icelandic writer Halldór Laxness (born 1902) published his first major novel, Vefarinn mikli frá Kasmír (The Great Weaver of Kashmir), a panorama of social, literary, religious and sexual issues of his times. Laxness, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1955, wrote most of his novel in Taormina which he then praised highly in his book of autobiographical essays, Skáldatími (The Time of the Poet) from 1963.
Economy
Much of Trapani's economy still depends on the sea. Fishing and canning are an important local industries, with fishermen using the mattanza technique to catch tuna. Coral is also an important export, along with salt, marble and marsala wine. The nearby coast is lined with numerous salt-pans.
The city is also an important ferry port, with links to the Egadi Islands, Pantelleria, Sardinia and Tunisia.
Getting in Taormina
By train
Regular trains to and from Messina and Catania However the station (called Taormina -Giardini) is on the seafront 2km below the centre. There are some buses down, but it's often more convenient to take a long-distance bus from the centre straight to or from your destination.
By bus
Regular buses to and from Messina and Catania .
By plane
Look for flights to Catania . There you can rent a car to get to Taormina .
Get around Taormina
By foot
The main street of Taormina is pedestrianised, making it easy to wander around by foot.
By car
If coming in by car, you may enter the town center only to go to a hotel or a rented house: local police may require to see proof of booking. In alternative, it's better to park the car at one of the 2 large public parkings ('Parcheggio Lumbi' or Parcheggio Porta Catania ) that you encounter on the outskirts of the city coming in. From there, either walk to the city center (just 2 min from 'Parcheggio Porta Catania '/around 10 min but uphill from 'Parcheggio Lumbi') or catch the shuttle buses running continously to the center.
However, there are regular shuttle buses down to Giardini-Naxos, the train station, Letojanni and up to Castelmola.
There is also a frequent Cable Car down to the beach at Mazarro.
Main Sights
Cathedral of San Lorenzo built in 1421 then restored and changed in 1748 by architect G.B. Amico with the addition of the side chapels, the choir, the dome, the bell tower and the façade. Inside neoclassical plasters by Girolamo Rizzo and Onofrio Noto and vaulted fresco paintings by Vincenzo Manno, a painting of the Crucifixion attributed to Flemish Van Dyke.
Torre di Ligny in stone and tufa built in 1671 by Viceroy Claudio La Moraldo, prince of Ligny, which hosts the Prehistory Museum.
Castello di Terra, according to the tradition over 2,300 years old, was an important defence post of the city, from its position opposite the other Castello di Mare (called Colombaia) located on an island and built according to the legend by greek hero Amilcares. In 1360 Queen Costanza, the wife of Federico d'Aragona, stayed here. The Castello di Mare has an octagonal plan and dates back to the XVI century.
Catania
The Sensational Sicily Series of Films presented by Alessandro Sorbello showcase one of the most beautiful regions on earth, rich in history, Sicily formed part of the cradle of civilization. This project is born from a collaboration between the Region of Sicily The Italian Chamber of Commerce, New Realm Media and Alessandro Sorbello Productions.
Profile of Catania (Greek: Κατάνη -- Katánē; Latin: Catana and Catina; Arabic: Balad-al-Fil or Medinat-al-Fil, Wadi Musa and Qataniyah) is the second-largest city of Sicily, southern Italy, and is the capital of the province which bears its name.
Towns and Villages in the Province of Catania - Aci Bonaccorsi | Aci Castello | Aci Catena | Aci Sant'Antonio | Acireale | Adrano | Belpasso | Biancavilla | Bronte | Calatabiano | Caltagirone | Camporotondo Etneo | Castel di Judica | Castiglione di Sicilia | Catania | Fiumefreddo di Sicilia | Giarre | Grammichele | Gravina di Catania | Licodia Eubea | Linguaglossa | Maletto | Maniace | Mascali | Mascalucia | Mazzarrone | Militello in Val di Catania | Milo | Mineo | Mirabella Imbaccari | Misterbianco | Motta Sant'Anastasia | Nicolosi | Palagonia | Paternò | Pedara | Piedimonte Etneo | Raddusa | Ragalna | Ramacca | Randazzo | Riposto | San Cono | San Giovanni la Punta | San Gregorio di Catania | San Michele di Ganzaria | San Pietro Clarenza | Sant'Agata li Battiati | Sant'Alfio | Santa Maria di Licodia | Santa Venerina | Scordia | Trecastagni | Tremestieri Etneo | Valverde | Viagrande | Vizzini | Zafferana Etnea
With some 306,000 inhabitants (750,000 in the metropolitan area) it has the second highest population density on the island. The city's patron saint is Saint Agatha. Catania is located on the east coast of the island, halfway between Messina and Siracusa and is at the foot of the active volcano Mount Etna.
History and Foundation
All ancient authors agree in representing Catania as a Greek colony named Κατάνη
(Katánē—see also List of traditional Greek place names) of Chalcidic origin, but founded immediately from the neighboring city of Naxos, under the guidance of a leader named Euarchos (Euarchus). The exact date of its foundation is not recorded, but it appears from Thucydides to have followed shortly after that of Leontini (modern Lentini), which he places in the fifth year after Syracuse, or 730 BCE. (Thuc. vi. 3; Strabo vi. p. 268; Scymn. Ch. 286; Scyl. § 13; Steph. B. s. v.)
Greek Sicily
The only event of its early history which has been transmitted to us is the legislation of Charondas, and even of this the date is wholly uncertain.
But from the fact that his legislation was extended to the other Chalcidic cities, not only of Sicily, but of Magna Graecia also, as well as to his own country (Arist., Pol. ii. 9), it is evident that Catania
continued in intimate relations with these kindred cities. It seems to have retained
its independence till the time of Hieron of Syracuse, but that despot, in 476 BCE, expelled all the original inhabitants, whom he established at Leontini, while he repeopled the city with a new body of colonists, amounting, it is said, to not less than 10,000 in number, and consisting partly of Syracusans, partly of Peloponnesians.
He at the same time changed its name to Αἴτνη (Aítnē, Aetna or Ætna, after the nearby volcano), and caused himself to be proclaimed the Oekist or founder of the new city. As such he was celebrated by Pindar, and after his death obtained heroic honors from the citizens of his new colony. (Diod. xi. 49, in 66; Strab. l.c.; Pind. Pyth. i., and Schol. ad loc.)
But this state of things was of brief duration, and a few years after the death of Hieron and the expulsion of Thrasybulus, the Syracusans combined with Ducetius, king of the Siculi, to expel the newly settled inhabitants of Catania, who were compelled to retire to the fortress of Inessa (to which they gave the name of Aetna), while the old Chalcidic citizens were reinstated in the possession of Catania
, 461 BCE. (Diod. xi. 76; Strab. l. c.)
The period which followed the settlement of affairs at this epoch appears to have been one of great prosperity for Catania, as well as for the Sicilian cities in general: but we have no details of its history till the great Athenian expedition to Sicily (part of the larger Peloponnesian War).
On that occasion the Catanaeans, notwithstanding their Chalcidic connections, at first refused to receive the Athenians into their city: but the latter having effected an entrance, they found themselves compelled to espouse the alliance of the invaders, and Catania became in consequence the headquarters of
the Athenian armament throughout the first year of the expedition, and the base of their subsequent operations against Syracuse. (Thuc. vi. 50-52, 63, 71, 89; Diod. xiii. 4, 6, 7; Plut. Nic. 15, 16.)
We have no information as to the fate of Catania after the close of this expedition:
it is next mentioned in 403 BCE, when it fell into the power of Dionysius I of Syracuse, who sold the inhabitants as slaves, and gave up the city to plunder; after which he established there a body of Campanian mercenaries. These, however, quitted it again in 396 BCE, and retired to Aetna, on the approach of the great Carthaginian armament under Himilco and Mago. The great sea-fight in which the latter defeated Leptines, the brother of Dionysius, was fought immediately off Catania, and the city apparently fell, in consequence, into the hands of the Carthaginians. (Diod. xiv. 15, 58, 60.)
But we have no account of its subsequent fortunes, nor does it appear who constituted its new population; it is only
certain that it continued to exist. Callippus, the assassin of Dion, when he was expelled from Syracuse, for a time held possession of Catania (Plut. Dion. 58); and when Timoleon landed in Sicily we find it subject to a despot named Mamercus, who at first joined the Corinthian leader but afterwards abandoned his alliance for that of the Carthaginians, and was in consequence attacked and expelled by Timoleon. (Diod. xvi. 69; Plut. Timol. 13, 30-34.) Catania was now restored to liberty, and appears to have continued to retain its independence; during the wars of Agathocles with the Carthaginians, it sided at one time with the former, at others with the latter; and when Pyrrhus landed in Sicily, Catania was the first to open its gates to him, and received him with the greatest magnificence. (Diod. xix. 110, xxii. 8, Exc. Hoesch. p. 496.)
Roman rule
In the First Punic War, Catania was one of the first among the cities of Sicily,
which made their submission to the Romans, after the first successes of their arms in 263 BCE. (Eutrop. ii. 19.) The expression of Pliny (vii. 60) who represents it as having been taken by Valerius Messala, is certainly a mistake.
It appears to have continued afterwards steadily to maintain its friendly relations with Rome, and though it did not enjoy the advantages of a confederate city (foederata civitas), like its neighbors Tauromenium (modern Taormina and Messana (modern Messina), it rose to a position of great prosperity under the Roman rule. Cicero repeatedly mentions it as, in his time, a wealthy and flourishing city; it retained its ancient municipal institutions, its chief magistrate bearing the title of Proagorus; and appears to have been one of the principal ports of Sicily for the export of corn. (Cic. Verr. iii. 4. 3, 83, iv. 23, 45; Liv. xxvii. 8.)
It subsequently suffered severely from the ravages of Sextus Pompeius, and was in consequence one of the cities to which a colony was sent by Augustus; a measure that appears to have in a great degree restored its prosperity, so that in Strabo's time it was one of the few cities in the island that was in a flourishing condition (Strab. vi. pp. 268, 270, 272; Dion Cass. iv. 7.)
It retained its colonial rank, as well as its prosperity, throughout the period of the Roman Empire; so that in the fourth century Ausonius in his Ordo Nobilium Urbium, notices Catania and Syracuse
alone among the cities of Sicily. (Plin. iii. 8. s. 14; Ptol. iii. 4. § 9; Itin. Ant. pp. 87,90, 93, 94).
After the fall of the Roman Empire
In 535, Catania was recovered by Belisarius from the Goths, and became again, under
the rule of the Byzantine Empire, one of the most important cities of the island. (Procop. B. G. i. 5.). It was extensively destroyed by earthquakes in 1169 and 1693 and by lava flows which ran over and around it into the sea.
The first Sicilian university was founded there in 1434.
Locational significance
The position of Catania at the foot of Mount Etna was the source, as Strabo remarks, both of benefits and evils to the city. For on the one hand, the violent outbursts of the volcano from time to time
desolated great parts of its territory; on the other, the volcanic ashes produced a soil of great fertility, adapted especially for the growth of vines. (Strab. vi. p. 269.)
One of the most serious calamities of the former class was the eruption of 121 BCE, when great part of its territory was overwhelmed by streams of lava, and the hot ashes fell in such quantities in the city itself, as to break in the roofs of the houses. Catania was in consequence exempted, for 10 years, from its usual contributions to the Roman state. (Oros. v. 13.)
The greater part of the broad tract of plain to the southwest of Catania (now called the Piano di Catania, a district of great fertility), appears to have belonged, in ancient times, to Leontini or Centuripa (modern Centuripe), but that portion of it between Catana itself and the mouth of the Symaethus, was annexed to the territory of the latter city, and must have furnished abundant supplies of corn.
The port of Catania also, which was in great part filled up by the eruption of 1669, appears to have been in ancient times much frequented, and was the chief place of export for the corn of the rich neighboring plains. The little river Amenanus, or Amenas, which flowed through the city, was a very small stream, and could never have been navigable.
Catania's renown in antiquity. Catania was the birth-place of the philosopher and legislator Charondas; it was also the place of residence of the poet Stesichorus, who died there, and was buried in a magnificent sepulchre outside one of the gates, which derived from thence the name of Porta Stesichoreia. (Suid. s. v. Στησίχορος.) Xenophanes, the philosopher of Elea, also spent the latter years of his life there (Diog. Laert. ix. 2. § 1), so that it was
evidently, at an early period, a place of cultivation and refinement.
The first introduction of dancing to accompany the flute, was also ascribed to Andron, a citizen of Catania (Athen. i. p. 22, c.); and the first sundial that was set up in the Roman forum was carried thither by Valerius Messala from Catania, 263 BCE. (Varr. ap. Plin. vii. 60.)
But few associations connected with Catania were more celebrated in ancient times than the legend of the Pii Fratres, Amphinomus and Anapias, who, on occasion of a great eruption of Etna, abandoned all their property, and carried off their aged parents on their shoulders, the stream of lava itself was said to have parted, and flowed aside so as not to harm them. Statues were erected to their honor, and the place of their burial was known as the Campus Piorum; the Catanaeans even introduced the figures of the youths on their coins, and the legend became a favorite subject of allusion and declamation among the Latin poets, of whom the younger Lucilius and Claudian have dwelt upon it at considerable length.
The occurrence is referred by Hyginus to the first eruption of Etna that took place after the settlement of Catania (Strab. vi. p. 269; Paus. x. 28. § 4; Conon, Narr. 43; Philostr. Vit. Apoll. v. 17;Solin. 5. § 15; Hygin. 254; Val. Max. v. 4. Ext. § 4; Lucil. Aetn. 602-40; Claudian. Idyll. 7; Sil. Ital. xiv. 196; Auson. Ordo Nob. Urb. 11.)
Culture
The opera composer Vincenzo Bellini was born in Catania , and a museum exists at his birthplace. The Teatro Massimo Bellini, which opened in 1890, is named after the composer. The opera house presents a variety of operas through a season, which run from December to May, many of which are the work of Bellini.
In the late 1980s and 1990s Catania had a unique popular music scene with local
radio stations. As a result of these idiosyncratic and regional radio stations Catania boasted a youth culture in which indie pop and indie rock from lesser known
international bands like. As a result of the eclectic taste in indie pop and indie rock Catania has been the birthplace of a number of dynamic and unusual independent music record labels.
The city is the home of Amatori Catania rugby union team, and Calcio Catania football team.
Transportation
Catania has a commercial seaport (Catania seaport)
in the city, an international airport (Catania Fontanarossa) to the South, a central train station (Catania Centrale) on the main lines Messina-Syracuse, Catania -Gela and Catania -Palermo , as well as the privately owned small-gauge Circumetnea railway which runs for 110
km from Catania round the base of Mount Etna. It attains the height of 976 m above
sea level before descending to rejoin the coast at Giarre-Riposto to the North.
In the late 1990s/early 2000s the first line of an underground railway was built, but never completed, under the
city, extending the Circumetnea from its stop on the north side of town to the Central Railway Station on the
southeast.
Main Sights
The symbol of the city is u Liotru, or the Fontana dell'Elefante and was constructed in 1736 by Giovanni Battista
Vaccarini. It is a manufact in lava stone portraying an elephant and surmounted by an obelisk. Legend has it that
Vaccarini's original elephant was neuter, which the men of Catania took as an insult
to their virility. To appease them, Vaccarini appended appropriately elephantine testicles to the original statue.
The Sicilian name u Liotru is perhaps a deformation of Heliodorus. A similar sculpture is in Piazza Santa Maria
della Minerva in Rome.
The city has been buried by lava a total of seven times in recorded history, and in layers under the present day
city are the Roman city that preceded it, and the Greek city before that.
Many of the ancient monuments of the Roman city have been destroyed by the numerous earthquakes.
Catania is the birthplace of the composer Vincenzo Bellini (1801). An opera house,
the Teatro Massimo Bellini is named after him and a museum exists on the site of his birth.
The city's monuments also include:
The Piazza del Duomo is attractive, lively and contains the Elephant Fountain - the symbol of the city.
The adjacent Cathedral (Duomo) is imposing and worth a visit.
The food and fish markets just below the Piazza del Duomo are a lively and colourful place to visit.
Via Etnea - the main shopping street, north of the Piazza del Duomo has most of the city's imposing building and is
busy throughout the day and evening.
Information courtesy of Wikipedia -
ITALY - WikiVidi Documentary
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 and Vatican City. Italy covers an area of 301338 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. Due to its shape, it is often referred to in Italy as lo Stivale . With around 61 million inhabitants it is the fourth most populous EU member state. Since classical times, ancient Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Greeks established settlements in the south of Italy, with Etruscans and Celts inhabiting the centre and the north of Italy respectively and various different ancient Italian tribes and Italic peoples dispersed throughout the Italian Peninsula and insular Italy. The Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom, which eventually became a republic that conquered and assimilated other nearby civilisations. Ultimately the Roman Empire...
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00:06:58: Etymology
00:08:21: Prehistory and antiquity
00:09:56: Ancient Rome
00:12:15: Middle Ages
00:15:22: Early Modern
00:20:37: Italian unification
00:24:54: Fascist regime
00:28:55: Republican Italy
00:34:17: Geography
00:36:51: Volcanology
00:38:17: Environment
00:41:15: Fauna and flora
00:43:46: Climate
00:45:03: Politics
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Syracuse, Sicily | Wikipedia audio article
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Syracuse, Sicily
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Syracuse (; Italian: Siracusa, pronounced [siraˈkuːza] (listen); Sicilian: Sarausa/Seragusa; Latin: Syrācūsae; Ancient Greek: Συράκουσαι, Syrakousai; Medieval Greek: Συρακοῦσαι) is a historic city on the island of Sicily, the capital of the Italian province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times, when it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world. Syracuse is located in the southeast corner of the island of Sicily, next to the Gulf of Syracuse beside the Ionian Sea.
The city was founded by Ancient Greek Corinthians and Teneans and became a very powerful city-state. Syracuse was allied with Sparta and Corinth and exerted influence over the entirety of Magna Graecia, of which it was the most important city. Described by Cicero as the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all, it equaled Athens in size during the fifth century BC. It later became part of the Roman Republic and Byzantine Empire. With the emperor Constans II it was the capital of the Roman Empire (663-669). After this Palermo overtook it in importance, as the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily. Eventually the kingdom would be united with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification of 1860.
In the modern day, the city is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site along with the Necropolis of Pantalica. In the central area, the city itself has a population of around 125,000 people. Syracuse is mentioned in the Bible in the Acts of the Apostles book at 28:12 as Paul stayed there. The patron saint of the city is Saint Lucy; she was born in Syracuse and her feast day, Saint Lucy's Day, is celebrated on 13 December.
Audie Murphy
Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II, receiving every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. The 19-year-old Murphy received the Medal of Honor after single-handedly holding off an entire company of Germans for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition.
Murphy was born into a large sharecropper family in Hunt County, Texas. His father abandoned them, and his mother died when he was a teenager. Murphy left school in fifth grade to pick cotton and find other work to help support his family; his skill with a hunting rifle was a necessity for putting food on the table. Murphy's older sister helped him to falsify documentation about his birth date to meet the minimum-age requirement for enlisting in the military, and after being turned down by the Navy and the Marine Corps he enlisted in the Army. He first saw action in the Allied invasion of Sicily and Anzio, and in 1944 was part of the liberation of Rome and invasion of southern France. Murphy fought at Montélimar, and led his men on a successful assault at the L'Omet quarry near Cleurie in northeastern France in October of that year.
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Sicily | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:03:09 1 Geography
00:07:42 1.1 Rivers
00:08:29 1.2 Climate
00:11:01 2 Flora and fauna
00:13:06 3 History
00:13:15 3.1 Ancient tribes
00:15:48 3.2 Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman period
00:20:25 3.3 Germanic and Byzantine periods (440–965)
00:20:41 3.3.1 Germanic (440–535)
00:21:59 3.3.2 Byzantine (535–965)
00:26:29 3.4 Arab Period (827–1091)
00:29:20 3.5 Norman Sicily (1038–1198)
00:32:18 3.6 Kingdom of Sicily
00:33:46 3.7 Hohenstaufen dynasty
00:35:58 3.8 Sicily under Aragonese rule
00:40:25 3.9 Italian unification
00:43:25 3.10 20th and 21st centuries
00:45:36 4 Demographics
00:47:34 4.1 Emigration
00:48:48 5 Politics
00:50:55 5.1 Administrative divisions
00:51:33 6 Economy
00:53:10 6.1 Agriculture
00:56:12 6.2 Industry and manufacturing
00:57:55 6.3 Statistics
00:58:04 6.3.1 GDP growth
00:58:24 6.3.2 Economic sectors
00:58:43 6.3.3 Unemployment rate
00:59:03 7 Transport
00:59:12 7.1 Roads
01:00:08 7.2 Railways
01:02:04 7.3 Airports
01:03:44 7.4 Ports
01:06:01 7.5 Planned bridge
01:07:21 8 Tourism
01:08:47 8.1 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
01:11:35 8.1.1 Tentative Sites
01:12:00 8.2 Archeological sites
01:13:46 8.3 Castles
01:14:00 8.4 Coastal towers
01:15:39 9 Culture
01:16:37 9.1 Art and architecture
01:17:45 9.1.1 Sicilian Baroque
01:19:20 9.2 Music and film
01:20:34 9.3 Literature
01:22:38 9.4 Language
01:24:41 9.5 Science
01:27:15 9.6 Education
01:28:53 9.7 Religion
01:30:44 9.8 Cuisine
01:33:53 9.9 Sports
01:36:59 9.10 Popular culture
01:41:15 9.11 Regional symbols
01:44:54 10 Notable people
01:45:04 11 See also
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I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Sicily (Italian: Sicilia [siˈtʃiːlja]; Sicilian: Sicilia) is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy, in Southern Italy along with surrounding minor islands, officially referred to as Regione Siciliana.
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, and one of the most active in the world, currently 3,329 m (10,922 ft) high. The island has a typical Mediterranean climate.
The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity on the island dates from as early as 12,000 BC. By around 750 BC, Sicily had three Phoenician and a dozen Greek colonies and, for the next 600 years, it was the site of the Sicilian Wars and the Punic Wars. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Sicily was ruled during the Early Middle Ages by the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantine Empire, and the Emirate of Sicily. The Norman conquest of southern Italy led to the creation of the Kingdom of Sicily, which was subsequently ruled by the Hohenstaufen, the Capetian House of Anjou, Spain, and the House of Habsburg. It was finally unified under the House of Bourbon with the Kingdom of Naples as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It became part of Italy in 1860 following the Expedition of the Thousand, a revolt led by Giuseppe Garibaldi during the Italian unification, and a plebiscite. Sicily was given special status as an autonomous region on 15th May 1946, 18 days before the Italian constitutional referendum of 1946. Albeit, much of the autonomy still remains unapplied, especially financial autonomy, because the autonomy-activating laws have been deferred to be approved by the parithetic committee (50% Italian State, 50% Regione Siciliana), since 1946.
Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine, and architecture. It is also home to important archaeological and ancient sites, such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, the Valley of the Temples, Erice and Selinunte.
Italy | Wikipedia audio article
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Italy
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
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SUMMARY
=======
Italy (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja] ( listen)), officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana [reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna]), is a country in Europe. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, and Vatican City. Italy covers an area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous EU member state and the most populous country in southern Europe.
Due to its central geographic location in Europe and the Mediterranean, Italy has historically been home to a myriad of peoples and cultures. In addition to the various ancient Italian tribes and Italic peoples dispersed throughout the Italian Peninsula and insular Italy, beginning from the classical era, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Greeks established settlements in the south of Italy, with Etruscans and Celts inhabiting the centre and the north of Italy respectively. The Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC, which eventually became a republic that conquered and assimilated its neighbours. In the first century BC, the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became the leading cultural, political and religious centre of Western civilisation. The legacy of the Roman Empire is widespread and can be observed in the global distribution of civilian law, republican governments, Christianity and the Latin script.
During the Early Middle Ages, Italy endured sociopolitical collapse and barbarian invasions, but by the 11th century, numerous rival city-states and maritime republics, mainly in the northern and central regions of Italy, rose to great prosperity through shipping, commerce and banking, laying the groundwork for modern capitalism. These mostly independent statelets served as Europe's main trading hubs with Asia and the Near East, often enjoying a greater degree of democracy than the larger feudal monarchies that were consolidating throughout Europe; however, part of central Italy was under the control of the theocratic Papal States, while Southern Italy remained largely feudal until the 19th century, partially as a result of a succession of Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Angevin and Spanish conquests of the region.The Renaissance began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe, bringing a renewed interest in humanism, science, exploration and art. Italian culture flourished, producing famous scholars, artists and polymaths such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Galileo and Machiavelli. During the Middle Ages, Italian explorers such as Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, John Cabot and Giovanni da Verrazzano discovered new routes to the Far East and the New World, helping to usher in the European Age of Discovery. Nevertheless, Italy's commercial and political power significantly waned with the opening of trade routes that bypassed the Mediterranean. Centuries of infighting between the Italian city-states, such the Italian Wars of the 15th and 16th centuries, left the region fragmented, and it was subsequently conquered by European powers such as France, Spain and Austria.
By the mid-19th century, rising Italian nationalism and calls for independence from foreign control led to a period of revolutionary political upheaval. After centuries of foreign domination and political division, Italy was almost entirely unified in 1871, establishing the Kingdom of Italy as a great power. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Italy rapidly industrialised, namely in the north, and acquired a colonial empire, while the south remained largely impoverished and excluded from industrialisation, fuelling a large and influential diaspora. Despite being one of the main victors in World War I, Italy entered a period of economic crisis and social turmoil, leading to the ...
Catania | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Catania
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
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- improves your listening skills
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- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Catania (Italian: [kaˈtaːnja] (listen)) is the second largest city of Sicily after Palermo located on the east coast facing the Ionian Sea. It is the capital of the Metropolitan City of Catania, one of the ten biggest cities in Italy, and the seventh largest metropolitan area in Italy. The population of the city proper is 320,000 while the population of the city's metropolitan area, Metropolitan City of Catania, stood at 1,116,168 inhabitants.
Catania was destroyed by catastrophic earthquakes in 1169 and 1693, and by several volcanic eruptions from the neighbouring Mount Etna, the most violent of which was in 1669.Catania was founded in the 8th century BC by Chalcidians. 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 Italy's most important cultural, artistic and political centres.The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy. Its old town, besides being one of the biggest examples of baroque architecture in Italy, is a World Heritage Site, protected by UNESCO.
Catania has been a native or adoptive homeland of some of Italy's most famous artists and writers, including composers Vincenzo Bellini and Giovanni Pacini, and writers Giovanni Verga, Luigi Capuana, Federico De Roberto and Nino Martoglio.
The city is the main industrial, logistical and commercial center of Sicily. It is the home of the Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, the largest in Southern Italy.
Italy | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:05:29 1 Etymology
00:07:32 2 History
00:07:41 2.1 Prehistory and antiquity
00:10:01 2.2 Ancient Rome
00:12:39 2.3 Middle Ages
00:16:23 2.4 Early Modern
00:22:12 2.5 Italian unification
00:25:24 2.6 Monarchical period
00:28:54 2.7 Fascist regime
00:33:04 2.8 Republican Italy
00:38:12 3 Geography
00:41:35 3.1 Waters
00:43:03 3.2 Volcanology
00:44:50 3.3 Environment
00:47:15 3.4 Biodiversity
00:49:29 3.5 Climate
00:51:07 4 Politics
00:51:54 4.1 Government
00:54:33 4.2 Law and criminal justice
00:56:05 4.2.1 Law enforcement
00:57:06 4.3 Foreign relations
00:59:22 4.4 Military
01:01:48 4.5 Administrative divisions
01:02:22 5 Economy
01:06:56 5.1 Agriculture
01:08:49 5.2 Infrastructure
01:11:15 5.3 Science and technology
01:15:27 5.4 Tourism
01:17:01 6 Demographics
01:19:22 6.1 Metropolitan cities and larger urban zone
01:19:34 6.2 Immigration
01:21:58 6.3 Languages
01:24:28 6.4 Religion
01:27:01 6.5 Education
01:29:07 6.6 Health
01:30:44 7 Culture
01:32:10 7.1 Architecture
01:33:47 7.2 Visual art
01:37:33 7.3 Literature
01:43:21 7.4 Theatre
01:45:41 7.5 Music
01:50:13 7.6 Cinema
01:53:33 7.7 Sport
01:57:08 7.8 Fashion and design
01:58:54 7.9 Cuisine
02:01:04 7.10 Public holidays and festivals
02:03:08 8 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
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There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Italy (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja] (listen)), officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana [reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna]), is a country in Europe. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, and Vatican City. Italy covers an area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous EU member state and the most populous country in Southern Europe.
Due to its central geographic location in Europe and the Mediterranean, Italy has historically been home to a myriad of peoples and cultures. In addition to the various ancient Italian tribes and Italic peoples dispersed throughout the Italian Peninsula and insular Italy, beginning from the classical era, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Greeks established settlements in the south of Italy, with Etruscans and Celts inhabiting the centre and the north of Italy respectively. The Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC, which eventually became a republic that conquered and assimilated its neighbours. In the first century BC, the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became the leading cultural, political and religious centre of Western civilisation. The legacy of the Roman Empire is widespread and can be observed in the global distribution of civilian law, republican governments, Christianity and the Latin script.
During the Early Middle Ages, Italy endured sociopolitical collapse and barbarian invasions, but by the 11th century, numerous rival city-states and maritime republics, mainly in the northern and central regions of Italy, rose to great prosperity through shipping, commerce and banking, laying the groundwork for modern capitalism. These mostly independent statelets served as Europe's main trading hubs with Asia and the Near East, often enjoying a greater degree of democracy than the larger feudal monarchies that were consolidating throughout Europe; however, part of central Italy was under the control of the theocratic Papal States, while Southern Italy remained largely feudal until the 19th century, partially as a result of a succession of Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Angevin and Spanish conquests of the region.The Renaissance began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe, bringing a renewed interest in humanism, science, exploration and art. Italian culture flourished, producing famous scholars, artist ...
Sicily | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Sicily
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Sicily (Italian: Sicilia [siˈtʃiːlja]; Sicilian: Sicilia) is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy, in Southern Italy along with surrounding minor islands, officially referred to as Regione Siciliana.
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, and one of the most active in the world, currently 3,329 m (10,922 ft) high. The island has a typical Mediterranean climate.
The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity on the island dates from as early as 12,000 BC. By around 750 BC, Sicily had three Phoenician and a dozen Greek colonies and, for the next 600 years, it was the site of the Sicilian Wars and the Punic Wars. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Sicily was ruled during the Early Middle Ages by the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantine Empire, and the Emirate of Sicily. The Norman conquest of southern Italy led to the creation of the Kingdom of Sicily, which was subsequently ruled by the Hohenstaufen, the Capetian House of Anjou, Spain, and the House of Habsburg. It was finally unified under the House of Bourbon with the Kingdom of Naples as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It became part of Italy in 1860 following the Expedition of the Thousand, a revolt led by Giuseppe Garibaldi during the Italian unification, and a plebiscite. Sicily was given special status as an autonomous region on 15th May 1946, 18 days before the Italian constitutional referendum of 1946. Albeit, much of the autonomy still remains unapplied, especially financial autonomy, because the autonomy-activating laws have been deferred to be approved by the parithetic committee (50% Italian State, 50% Regione Siciliana), since 1946.
Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine, and architecture. It is also home to important archaeological and ancient sites, such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, the Valley of the Temples, Erice and Selinunte.
Italy | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:05:43 1 Etymology
00:07:52 2 History
00:08:01 2.1 Prehistory and antiquity
00:10:26 2.2 Ancient Rome
00:13:10 2.3 Middle Ages
00:17:04 2.4 Early Modern
00:23:06 2.5 Italian unification
00:26:26 2.6 Monarchical period
00:30:05 2.7 Fascist regime
00:34:27 2.8 Republican Italy
00:39:49 3 Geography
00:43:19 3.1 Waters
00:44:50 3.2 Volcanology
00:46:41 3.3 Environment
00:49:12 3.4 Biodiversity
00:51:31 3.5 Climate
00:53:15 4 Politics
00:54:04 4.1 Government
00:56:51 4.2 Law and criminal justice
00:58:27 4.2.1 Law enforcement
00:59:30 4.3 Foreign relations
01:01:52 4.4 Military
01:04:24 4.5 Administrative divisions
01:04:59 5 Economy
01:09:44 5.1 Agriculture
01:11:43 5.2 Infrastructure
01:14:12 5.3 Science and technology
01:18:34 5.4 Tourism
01:20:11 6 Demographics
01:22:39 6.1 Metropolitan cities and larger urban zone
01:22:51 6.2 Immigration
01:25:21 6.3 Languages
01:27:57 6.4 Religion
01:30:37 6.5 Education
01:32:48 6.6 Health
01:34:30 7 Culture
01:36:01 7.1 Architecture
01:37:41 7.2 Visual art
01:41:37 7.3 Literature
01:47:39 7.4 Theatre
01:50:05 7.5 Music
01:54:48 7.6 Cinema
01:58:15 7.7 Sport
02:02:02 7.8 Fashion and design
02:03:51 7.9 Cuisine
02:06:06 7.10 Public holidays and festivals
02:08:19 8 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.943880845879493
Voice name: en-US-Wavenet-F
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Italy (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja] (listen)), officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana [reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna]), is a country in Europe. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, and Vatican City. Italy covers an area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous EU member state and the most populous country in Southern Europe.
Due to its central geographic location in Europe and the Mediterranean, Italy has historically been home to a myriad of peoples and cultures. In addition to the various ancient Italian tribes and Italic peoples dispersed throughout the Italian Peninsula and insular Italy, beginning from the classical era, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Greeks established settlements in the south of Italy, with Etruscans and Celts inhabiting the centre and the north of Italy respectively. The Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC, which eventually became a republic that conquered and assimilated its neighbours. In the first century BC, the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became the leading cultural, political and religious centre of Western civilisation. The legacy of the Roman Empire is widespread and can be observed in the global distribution of civilian law, republican governments, Christianity and the Latin script.
During the Early Middle Ages, Italy endured sociopolitical collapse and barbarian invasions, but by the 11th century, numerous rival city-states and maritime republics, mainly in the northern and central regions of Italy, rose to great prosperity through shipping, commerce and banking, laying the groundwork for modern capitalism. These mostly independent statelets served as Europe's main trading hubs with Asia and the Near East, often enjoying a greater degree of democracy than the larger feudal monarchies that were consolidating throughout Europe; however, part of central Italy was under the control of the theocratic Papal States, while Southern Italy remained largely feudal until the 19th century, partially as a result of a succession of Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Angevin and Spanish conquests of the region.The Renaissance began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe, bringing a renewed interest in humanism, science, exploration and art. I ...
LEONARDO da VINCI - WikiVidi Documentary
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci , more commonly Leonardo da Vinci or simply Leonardo, was an Italian Renaissance polymath whose areas of interest included invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography. He has been variously called the father of palaeontology, ichnology, and architecture, and is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time. Sometimes credited with the inventions of the parachute, helicopter and tank, he epitomised the Renaissance humanist ideal. Many historians and scholars regard Leonardo as the prime exemplar of the Universal Genius or Renaissance Man, an individual of unquenchable curiosity and feverishly inventive imagination, and he is widely considered one of the most diversely talented individuals ever to have lived. According to art historian Helen Gardner, the scope and depth of his interests were without precedent i...
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00:06:35: Verrocchio's workshop, 1466–1476
00:08:36: Professional life, 1476–1513
00:14:53: Old age and death, 1513–1519
00:17:32: Location of remains
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Italy | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Italy
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Italy (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja] (listen)), officially the Italian Republic (Italian: Repubblica Italiana [reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna]), is a country in Europe. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, and Vatican City. Italy covers an area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous EU member state and the most populous country in southern Europe.
Due to its central geographic location in Europe and the Mediterranean, Italy has historically been home to a myriad of peoples and cultures. In addition to the various ancient Italian tribes and Italic peoples dispersed throughout the Italian Peninsula and insular Italy, beginning from the classical era, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Greeks established settlements in the south of Italy, with Etruscans and Celts inhabiting the centre and the north of Italy respectively. The Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC, which eventually became a republic that conquered and assimilated its neighbours. In the first century BC, the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became the leading cultural, political and religious centre of Western civilisation. The legacy of the Roman Empire is widespread and can be observed in the global distribution of civilian law, republican governments, Christianity and the Latin script.
During the Early Middle Ages, Italy endured sociopolitical collapse and barbarian invasions, but by the 11th century, numerous rival city-states and maritime republics, mainly in the northern and central regions of Italy, rose to great prosperity through shipping, commerce and banking, laying the groundwork for modern capitalism. These mostly independent statelets served as Europe's main trading hubs with Asia and the Near East, often enjoying a greater degree of democracy than the larger feudal monarchies that were consolidating throughout Europe; however, part of central Italy was under the control of the theocratic Papal States, while Southern Italy remained largely feudal until the 19th century, partially as a result of a succession of Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Angevin and Spanish conquests of the region.The Renaissance began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe, bringing a renewed interest in humanism, science, exploration and art. Italian culture flourished, producing famous scholars, artists and polymaths such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Galileo and Machiavelli. During the Middle Ages, Italian explorers such as Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, John Cabot and Giovanni da Verrazzano discovered new routes to the Far East and the New World, helping to usher in the European Age of Discovery. Nevertheless, Italy's commercial and political power significantly waned with the opening of trade routes that bypassed the Mediterranean. Centuries of infighting between the Italian city-states, such the Italian Wars of the 15th and 16th centuries, left the region fragmented, and it was subsequently conquered by European powers such as France, Spain and Austria.
By the mid-19th century, rising Italian nationalism and calls for independence from foreign control led to a period of revolutionary political upheaval. After centuries of foreign domination and political division, Italy was almost entirely unified in 1871, establishing the Kingdom of Italy as a great power. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Italy rapidly industrialised, namely in the north, and acquired a colonial empire, while the south remained largely impoverished and excluded from industrialisation, fuelling a large and influential diaspora. Despite being one of the main victors in World War I, Italy entered a period of economic ...
Sicily | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Sicily
00:02:21 1 Geography
00:05:47 1.1 Rivers
00:06:24 1.2 Climate
00:08:18 2 Flora and fauna
00:09:52 3 History
00:10:01 3.1 Ancient tribes
00:11:56 3.2 Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman period
00:15:23 3.3 Germanic and Byzantine periods (440–965)
00:15:36 3.3.1 Germanic (440–535)
00:16:36 3.3.2 Byzantine (535–965)
00:19:58 3.4 Arab Period (827–1091)
00:22:07 3.5 Norman Sicily (1038–1198)
00:24:19 3.6 Kingdom of Sicily
00:25:26 3.7 Hohenstaufen dynasty
00:27:06 3.8 Sicily under Aragonese rule
00:30:25 3.9 Italian unification
00:32:40 3.10 20th and 21st centuries
00:34:19 4 Demographics
00:35:49 4.1 Emigration
00:36:46 5 Politics
00:38:22 5.1 Administrative divisions
00:38:54 6 Economy
00:40:07 6.1 Agriculture
00:42:25 6.2 Industry and manufacturing
00:43:44 6.3 Statistics
00:43:52 6.3.1 GDP growth
00:44:08 6.3.2 Economic sectors
00:44:24 6.3.3 Unemployment rate
00:44:40 7 Transport
00:44:49 7.1 Roads
00:45:32 7.2 Railways
00:47:01 7.3 Airports
00:48:17 7.4 Ports
00:50:02 7.5 Planned bridge
00:51:03 8 Tourism
00:52:09 8.1 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
00:54:16 8.1.1 Tentative Sites
00:54:37 8.2 Archeological sites
00:55:59 8.3 Castles
00:56:11 8.4 Coastal towers
00:57:26 9 Culture
00:58:11 9.1 Art and architecture
00:59:03 9.1.1 Sicilian Baroque
01:00:16 9.2 Music and film
01:01:14 9.3 Literature
01:02:48 9.4 Language
01:04:22 9.5 Science
01:06:18 9.6 Education
01:07:33 9.7 Religion
01:08:57 9.8 Cuisine
01:11:19 9.9 Sports
01:13:38 9.10 Popular culture
01:16:51 9.11 Regional symbols
01:19:34 10 Notable people
01:19:44 11 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Sicily (Italian: Sicilia [siˈtʃiːlja]; Sicilian: Sicilia) is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy, in Southern Italy along with surrounding minor islands, officially referred to as Regione Siciliana.
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, and one of the most active in the world, currently 3,329 m (10,922 ft) high. The island has a typical Mediterranean climate.
The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity on the island dates from as early as 12,000 BC. By around 750 BC, Sicily had three Phoenician and a dozen Greek colonies and, for the next 600 years, it was the site of the Sicilian Wars and the Punic Wars. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Sicily was ruled during the Early Middle Ages by the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantine Empire, and the Emirate of Sicily. The Norman conquest of southern Italy led to the creation of the Kingdom of Sicily, which was subsequently ruled by the Hohenstaufen, the Capetian House of Anjou, Spain, and the House of Habsburg. It was finally unified under the House of Bourbon with the Kingdom of Naples as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It became part of Italy in 1860 following the Expedition of the Thousand, a revolt led by Giuseppe Garibaldi during the Italian unification, and a plebiscite. Sicily was given special status as an autonomous region on 15th May 1946, 18 days before the Italian constitutional referendum of 1946. Albeit, much of the autonomy still remains unapplied, especially financial autonomy, because the autonomy-activating laws have been deferred to be approved by the parithetic committee (50% Italian State, 50% Regione Siciliana), since 1946.
Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine, and architecture. It is also home to important archaeological and ancient sites, such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, the Valley of the Temples, Erice and Selinunte.
Catania | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:01:53 1 Etymology
00:04:24 2 Geography
00:05:16 2.1 Climate
00:07:05 3 Demographics
00:09:02 4 History
00:09:11 4.1 Foundation
00:10:06 4.2 Greek Catania
00:15:07 4.3 Roman rule
00:18:33 4.4 Middle Ages
00:20:34 4.5 Early Modern times
00:21:24 4.6 Unified Italy
00:23:00 5 Metropolitan area
00:24:08 5.1 Catania administrative divisions
00:24:38 6 Main sights
00:26:44 6.1 Classical buildings
00:27:54 6.2 Roman thermal structures
00:28:29 6.3 Baroque and historical churches
00:35:33 6.4 Other
00:37:09 7 Economy
00:40:29 8 Education
00:41:39 9 Culture
00:44:30 10 Food and cuisine
00:47:29 11 Transport
00:49:10 11.1 Catania Public Transportation Statistics
00:50:00 12 Notable residents
00:51:45 13 International relations
00:51:55 13.1 Twin towns – sister cities
00:52:26 13.2 Influence on the planning of Adelaide, Australia
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.9515365776991219
Voice name: en-GB-Wavenet-D
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Catania (UK: , US: , Sicilian and Italian: [kaˈtaːnja] (listen)) is the second largest city of Sicily after Palermo; it is located on the east coast facing the Ionian Sea. It is the capital of the Metropolitan City of Catania, one of the ten biggest cities in Italy, and the seventh largest metropolitan area in Italy. The population of the city proper is 320,000 while the population of the city's metropolitan area, Metropolitan City of Catania, stood at 1,116,168 inhabitants.
Catania was destroyed by catastrophic earthquakes in 1169 and 1693, and by several volcanic eruptions from the neighbouring Mount Etna, the most violent of which was in 1669.Catania was founded in the 8th century BC by Chalcidians. 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 Italy's most important cultural, artistic and political centres.The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy. Its old town, besides being one of the biggest examples of baroque architecture in Italy, is a World Heritage Site, protected by UNESCO.
Catania has been a native or adoptive homeland of some of Italy's most famous artists and writers, including composers Vincenzo Bellini and Giovanni Pacini, and writers Giovanni Verga, Luigi Capuana, Federico De Roberto and Nino Martoglio.
The city is the main industrial, logistical and commercial center of Sicily. It is the home of the Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, the largest in Southern Italy.
The Myth of Roman Britain
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