
Symbol of Catania - black elephant in a black town of Etna can be found ponemnogo everywhere, from civilian coat of arms and banners to the university, from the external decorations of the municipality (called, by the way, 'Elephant Palace') to the Arab names of Catania, which was named in ancient chronicles 'Balad-el-fil' o 'Medinat-el-fil' that is 'the city elephant'. In the civilian arms of the figure he crossed S. Agata ili'A '(many associated with the initial of Agatha).
Tom Sawyer has much to offer in this field. Emblem of the Municipality of Catania - the shield with a blue Foundation, headed by the Aragonese Crown and the inscription at the bottom 'SPQC', and the center of the elephant red purple color, with a raised trunk and tusks, ivory, it is rising on the left, location of the profile and clicked through a capital letter 'A', as it is red, and many other places An elephant of stone lavicheskigo really stands in the heart of the historic town square, the famous fountain that rose Vaccarini in 1735-37. Kataniytsy enough lyubeobvilno relate to their thick skin, and jokingly referred to themselves 'elephant brand' to say that they are genuine people of Catania, and not the province. In fact, they are correct in their belief that the elephant - the symbol of the city, because the stone statue called 'Liotru' is closely connected with historical events kataniytsev. statue was the subject of hot debate of many scientists and on this occasion a number of hypotheses were still articulated. For more information see this site:
Common.
Between the most significant, we recall that,
Pietro Carrera, who in his 'Historical Memoirs of Catania-1639' maintained that the elephant is made of black stone was a symbol of victory over the Libyans received kataniytsami. Another hypothesis was formulated in 1781 with an archaeologist from Catania Inatso Paterno Castello Prince Biscari, who thought that the elephant should be a decoration of the Circus of Catania. Hypothesis, which is not true for the elephant, and for the obelisk, which is an elephant supported on the back, which was one of the goals of the sand of the circus. The third hypothesis was formulated recently by local scientists (1924-1929), who liked to see a symbol of eastern religion, but were unable to identify him. Hypothesis, which seems more acceptable - this is expressed Pace (1949), who, relying on descriptions of the Arab geographer Drisi, who traveled to Sicily in the period 1145-1154, on the orders of the Norman King Ruggero ii, spoke about magical statue, that is the true and proper talisman, which was built in the Byzantine age, is the custodian of the city from the 'abuse of the volcano. " 'Unbelievers' in the magic of scientists explain the appearance of an elephant obrzom follows: the people of Catania was always located to its urban character, and how many great, historic cities, they and took over the animal emblem (as did Rome, Turin, Palermo, Chieti) - they are probably the ones that they chose better, 'because the elephant is the closest thing to a person between the animals' well, said the Roman naturalist Plinio. And finally, he has not forgotten that between the people superseded in animals Chirche del Jelly in 1549, the only animal that wants to return to human form is the elephant.