Elefantenstatue in Catania, Sizilien. Italien. Das Symbol der Stadt: Eine Elefantenskulptur, die im lokalen Dialekt als „Liotru“ (wahrscheinlich aus „Eliodoro“) bekannt ist (129)
2904 x 4352 px | 24,6 x 36,8 cm | 9,7 x 14,5 inches | 300dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
7. April 2022
Ort:
Piazza del Duomo, 95131 Catania CT, Sicily. Italy
Weitere Informationen:
Standing on the centre of Piazza del Duomo, the Elephant Fountain (Fontana dell’Elefante) is considered the symbol of Catania. Made from volcanic lava stone, the elephant monument atop a fountain in Piazza del Duomo, 95131 Catania CT, Sicily. Italy. Catania city symbol: an elephant known in the local dialect as “Liotru” – likely a mispronunciation of the name “Eliodoro”. Who was Eliodoro? He might have been a Sicilian nobleman who lived in the 8th century, and who according to legend tried to become bishop of the dioceses but failed – so he apostatized and turned into a necromancer and made idols, and was killed on the stake for it. According to tradition, Eliodoro was the author of the black lava stone elephant statue. Later, architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini restored it between 1735 and 1737 and placed at the center of the square’s fountain, adding an obelisk on the elephant’s back. The obelisk, decorated in Egyptian style, has a few mysteries of its own as it has never been dated with certainty; Vaccarini added a globe and a cross on top of it. In addition, many have wondered about the reasons why the elephant’s trunk points to the Cathedral of Saint Agatha. Some say it is because locals in the 12th century believed it had magical powers, and could protect the city from Mount Etna’s eruptions. One thing we know for sure is that whatever led to the strong connection between Catania and the “Liotru” has ancient origins.
