Enna
Encyclopedia
Enna is a city and comune
located roughly at the center of Sicily
, southern Italy
, in the province of Enna
, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames "belvedere" (panoramic viewpoint) and "ombelico" (navel) of Sicily.
At 931m above sea level, Enna is the highest Italian province capital.
called it Mediterranea maxime, reporting that it was within a day's journey of the nearest point on all the three coasts. The peculiar situation of Enna is described by several ancient authors, and is indeed one of the most remarkable in Sicily. The ancient city was placed on the level summit of a gigantic hill, so lofty as almost to deserve to be called a mountain, and surrounded on all sides with precipitous cliffs almost wholly inaccessible, except in a very few spots which are easily defended, abundantly supplied with water which gushes from the face of the rocks on all sides, and having a fine plain or table land of about 5 km in circumference on the summit, it forms one of the most remarkable natural fortresses in the world.
times. A settlement from before the 11th century BC, assigned by some to the Sicani
, has been identified at the top of the hill; later it was a center of the Siculi. In historical times it became renowned in Sicily and Italy for the cult of the goddess Demeter
(the Roman Ceres), whose grove in the neighborhood was known as the umbilicus Siciliae ("The navel of Sicily"). Ceres' temple in Henna was a famed site of worship.
The origin of the toponym Henna remains obscure.
seems to have fully appreciated Enna's importance, and repeatedly attempted to make himself master of the place; at first by aiding and encouraging Aeimnestus
, a citizen of Enna, to seize on the sovereign power, and afterwards, failing in his object by this means, turning against him and assisting the Ennaeans to get rid of their despot. He did not however at this time accomplish his purpose, and it was not till a later period that, after repeated expeditions against the neighbouring Sicilian cities, Enna also was betrayed into his hands. In the time of Agathocles
we find Enna for a time subject to that tyrant, but when the Agrigentines
under Xenodicus began to proclaim the restoration of the other cities of Sicily to freedom, the Ennaeans were the first to join their standard, and opened their gates to Xenodicus, 309 BC. In the First Punic War
Enna is repeatedly mentioned; it was taken first by the Carthaginians
under Hamilcar
, and subsequently recaptured by the Romans
, but in both instances by treachery and not by force.
In the Second Punic War
, while Marcellus
was engaged in the siege of Syracuse (214 BC), Enna became the scene of a fearful massacre. The defection of several Sicilian towns from Rome had alarmed Pinarius the governor of Enna, lest the citizens of that place should follow their example; and in order to forestall the apprehended treachery, he with the Roman garrison fell upon the citizens when assembled in the theater, and put them all to the sword without distinction, after which he gave up the city to be plundered by his soldiers. Eighty years later Enna again became conspicuous as the headquarters of the First Servile War
in Sicily (134 BC-132 BC), which first broke out there under the lead of Eunus
, who made himself master in the first instance of Enna, which from its central position and great natural strength became the center of his operations, and the receptacle, of the plunder of Sicily. It was the last place that held out against the proconsul Rupilius, and was at length betrayed into his hands, its impregnable strength having defied all his efforts. According to Strabo, it suffered severely upon this occasion (which, indeed, could scarcely be otherwise), and regards this period as the commencement of its subsequent decline. Cicero
, however, notices it repeatedly in a manner which seems to imply that it was still a flourishing municipal town
: it had a fertile territory, well-adapted for the growth of corn, and diligently cultivated, till it was rendered almost desolate by the exactions of Verres
. From this time little is known about Enna: Strabo
speaks of it as still inhabited, though by a small population, in his time: and the name appears in Pliny
among the municipal towns of Sicily, as well as in Ptolemy
and the Itineraries.
, it continued to flourish throughout the Middle Ages as an important Byzantine
stronghold. In 859, in the course of the Islamic conquest of Sicily, after several attempts and a long siege, the town was taken by Muslim troops who had to sneak in one by one through a sewer to breach the town's hardy defenses. The name for the city, 'Qas'r Ianni' (Fort of John), was a combination of "qas'r" (a corruption of the Latin "castrum", fort), and "Ianni", a corruption of "Henna". The name in the native dialect of Sicily remained Castro Janni (Castrogiovanni) until the renaming by order of Benito Mussolini
in 1927. The Normans captured her in 1087. Frederick II
, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily, established a summer residence here.
Enna had a prominent role in the Sicilian Vespers
that lead to the Aragonese conquest of Sicily, and thenceforth enjoyed a short communal autonomy. King Frederick III of Sicily
favored it and embellished the city; it however suffered a period of decay under the Spanish domination. It was restored as provincial capital in the 1920s. It has become a university city in 2002.
. The exact spot assigned by local tradition as the scene of this event was a small lake surrounded by lofty and precipitous hills, about 8 km from Enna, the meadows on the banks of which abounded in flowers, while a cavern or grotto hard by was shown as that from which the infernal king suddenly emerged. This lake is called "Pergus" by Ovid and Claudian, but it is remarkable that neither Cicero
nor Diodorus speaks of any lake in particular as the scene of the occurrence: the former however says, that around Enna were lacus lucique plurimi, et laetissimi flores omni tempore anni. Diodorus, on the contrary, describes the spot whence Proserpine was carried off as a meadow abounding in flowers, especially odoriferous ones, to such a degree that it was impossible for hounds to follow their prey by the scent across this tract: he speaks of it as enclosed on all sides by steep cliffs, and having groves and marshes in the neighborhood, but makes no mention of a lake. The cavern however is alluded to by him as well as by Cicero, and would seem to point to a definite locality. At the present day there still remains a small lake in a basin-shaped hollow surrounded by great hills, and a cavern near it is still pointed out as that described by Cicero and Diodorus, but the flowers have in great measure disappeared, as well as the groves and woods which formerly surrounded the spot, and by the 19th century, the scene was described by travelers as bare and desolate.
The connection of this myth with Enna naturally led to (if it did not rather arise from) the peculiar worship of the two goddesses Ceres and Proserpine in that city: and we learn from Cicero that there was a temple of Ceres of such great antiquity and sanctity that the Sicilians repaired thither with a feeling of religious awe, as if it were the goddess herself rather than her sanctuary that they were about to visit. Yet this did not preserve it from the sacrilegious hands of Verres, who carried off from there a bronze image of the deity herself, the most ancient as well as the most venerated in Sicily. No remains of this temple are now visible: according to Fazello it stood on the brink of the precipice, and has been wholly carried away by the falling down of great masses of rock from the edge of the cliff. Nor are there any other vestiges of antiquity still remaining at Enna: they were probably destroyed by the Saracens, who erected the castle and several other of the most prominent buildings of the modern city.
: Pergus lacus or Hennaeus lacus) is set between a group of mountains in the chain of Erei, and it is located 5 km from Enna. It is a vital place in the migratory current of lots of birds. In addition to birds, which are certainly the protagonists of the Pergusa nature reserve, here there are also interesting species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.
Around the lake, there is the most important racing track of Southern Italy, the Autodromo di Pergusa
, that hosted international competitions and events, such as Formula One
, Formula 3000 and a Ferrari Festival with Michael Schumacher
.
In the area of Pergusa lake we can also find an archaeological site, known as Cozzo Matrice, practically the rests of an old fortified village, where some imposing walls dating about 8000 BC, a sacred citadel, a rich necropolis
and the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to Demeter
, dating more than 2000 years ago.
The important forest and green area named Selva Pergusina (that means "Pergusa's Wood") surrounds a part of the Lake Pergusa Valley, evocating a scenographic panorama.
Pergusa is strongly linked to the myth of the Greek Persephone
, Demeter
's daughter, which was kidnapped here by Pluto
.
Kastoria
, Greece
Gharb
, Malta
Craiova
, Romania
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
located roughly at the center of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in the province of Enna
Province of Enna
Enna is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Enna.It has an area of 2,562 km², and a total population of 177,200 . There are 20 comunes in the province, see Comunes of the Province of Enna...
, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames "belvedere" (panoramic viewpoint) and "ombelico" (navel) of Sicily.
At 931m above sea level, Enna is the highest Italian province capital.
History
Enna is situated near the center of the island; whence the Roman writer CiceroCicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
called it Mediterranea maxime, reporting that it was within a day's journey of the nearest point on all the three coasts. The peculiar situation of Enna is described by several ancient authors, and is indeed one of the most remarkable in Sicily. The ancient city was placed on the level summit of a gigantic hill, so lofty as almost to deserve to be called a mountain, and surrounded on all sides with precipitous cliffs almost wholly inaccessible, except in a very few spots which are easily defended, abundantly supplied with water which gushes from the face of the rocks on all sides, and having a fine plain or table land of about 5 km in circumference on the summit, it forms one of the most remarkable natural fortresses in the world.
Prehistoric
Archaeological findings dating from the 14th century BC have proved the human presence in the area since NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times. A settlement from before the 11th century BC, assigned by some to the Sicani
Sicani
The Sicani or Sicanians were one of three ancient peoples of Sicily present at the time of Phoenician and Greek colonization.-History:The Sicani are thought to be the oldest inhabitants of Sicily with a recorded name...
, has been identified at the top of the hill; later it was a center of the Siculi. In historical times it became renowned in Sicily and Italy for the cult of the goddess Demeter
Demeter
In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...
(the Roman Ceres), whose grove in the neighborhood was known as the umbilicus Siciliae ("The navel of Sicily"). Ceres' temple in Henna was a famed site of worship.
The origin of the toponym Henna remains obscure.
Classical period
Dionysius I of SyracuseDionysius I of Syracuse
Dionysius I or Dionysius the Elder was a Greek tyrant of Syracuse, in what is now Sicily, southern Italy. He conquered several cities in Sicily and southern Italy, opposed Carthage's influence in Sicily and made Syracuse the most powerful of the Western Greek colonies...
seems to have fully appreciated Enna's importance, and repeatedly attempted to make himself master of the place; at first by aiding and encouraging Aeimnestus
Aeimnestus
*Aeimnestus was the Spartan soldier who killed the Persian general Mardonius by hurling a boulder onto Mardonius' head during the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC, as told in book 9 of the Histories of Herodotus...
, a citizen of Enna, to seize on the sovereign power, and afterwards, failing in his object by this means, turning against him and assisting the Ennaeans to get rid of their despot. He did not however at this time accomplish his purpose, and it was not till a later period that, after repeated expeditions against the neighbouring Sicilian cities, Enna also was betrayed into his hands. In the time of Agathocles
Agathocles
Agathocles , , was tyrant of Syracuse and king of Sicily .-Biography:...
we find Enna for a time subject to that tyrant, but when the Agrigentines
Agrigento
Agrigento , is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, and capital of the province of Agrigento. It is renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas , one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia during the golden...
under Xenodicus began to proclaim the restoration of the other cities of Sicily to freedom, the Ennaeans were the first to join their standard, and opened their gates to Xenodicus, 309 BC. In the First Punic War
First Punic War
The First Punic War was the first of three wars fought between Ancient Carthage and the Roman Republic. For 23 years, the two powers struggled for supremacy in the western Mediterranean Sea, primarily on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and its surrounding waters but also to a lesser extent in...
Enna is repeatedly mentioned; it was taken first by the Carthaginians
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
under Hamilcar
Hamilcar
Hamilcar was a common name in the Punic culture. There are several different transcriptions into Greek and Roman scripts. The ruling families of ancient Carthage often named their members with the traditional name Hamilcar...
, and subsequently recaptured by the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, but in both instances by treachery and not by force.
In the Second Punic War
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
, while Marcellus
Marcus Claudius Marcellus
Marcus Claudius Marcellus , five times elected as consul of the Roman Republic, was an important Roman military leader during the Gallic War of 225 BC and the Second Punic War...
was engaged in the siege of Syracuse (214 BC), Enna became the scene of a fearful massacre. The defection of several Sicilian towns from Rome had alarmed Pinarius the governor of Enna, lest the citizens of that place should follow their example; and in order to forestall the apprehended treachery, he with the Roman garrison fell upon the citizens when assembled in the theater, and put them all to the sword without distinction, after which he gave up the city to be plundered by his soldiers. Eighty years later Enna again became conspicuous as the headquarters of the First Servile War
First Servile War
The First Servile War of 135–132 BC was an unsuccessful rebellion of slaves against the Roman Republic. The war was prompted by slave revolts in Enna on the island of Sicily. It was led by Eunus, a former slave claiming to be a prophet, and Cleon, a Cilician who became Eunus's military commander...
in Sicily (134 BC-132 BC), which first broke out there under the lead of Eunus
Eunus
Eunus , a slave from Apamea in Syria, became leader of the slave uprising in the First Servile War in Sicily. Eunus rose to prominence in the movement through his reputation as a wonder-worker and prophet...
, who made himself master in the first instance of Enna, which from its central position and great natural strength became the center of his operations, and the receptacle, of the plunder of Sicily. It was the last place that held out against the proconsul Rupilius, and was at length betrayed into his hands, its impregnable strength having defied all his efforts. According to Strabo, it suffered severely upon this occasion (which, indeed, could scarcely be otherwise), and regards this period as the commencement of its subsequent decline. Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
, however, notices it repeatedly in a manner which seems to imply that it was still a flourishing municipal town
Municipium
Municipium , the prototype of English municipality, was the Latin term for a town or city. Etymologically the municipium was a social contract between municipes, the "duty holders," or citizens of the town. The duties, or munera, were a communal obligation assumed by the municipes in exchange for...
: it had a fertile territory, well-adapted for the growth of corn, and diligently cultivated, till it was rendered almost desolate by the exactions of Verres
Verres
Gaius Verres was a Roman magistrate, notorious for his misgovernment of Sicily. It is not known what gens he belonged to, though some give him the nomen Licinius.-As governor:...
. From this time little is known about Enna: Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
speaks of it as still inhabited, though by a small population, in his time: and the name appears in Pliny
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
among the municipal towns of Sicily, as well as in Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
and the Itineraries.
Post-Roman
After the fall of the Western Roman EmpireWestern Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
, it continued to flourish throughout the Middle Ages as an important Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
stronghold. In 859, in the course of the Islamic conquest of Sicily, after several attempts and a long siege, the town was taken by Muslim troops who had to sneak in one by one through a sewer to breach the town's hardy defenses. The name for the city, 'Qas'r Ianni' (Fort of John), was a combination of "qas'r" (a corruption of the Latin "castrum", fort), and "Ianni", a corruption of "Henna". The name in the native dialect of Sicily remained Castro Janni (Castrogiovanni) until the renaming by order of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
in 1927. The Normans captured her in 1087. Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily, established a summer residence here.
Enna had a prominent role in the Sicilian Vespers
Sicilian Vespers
The Sicilian Vespers is the name given to the successful rebellion on the island of Sicily that broke out on the Easter of 1282 against the rule of the French/Angevin king Charles I, who had ruled the Kingdom of Sicily since 1266. Within six weeks three thousand French men and women were slain by...
that lead to the Aragonese conquest of Sicily, and thenceforth enjoyed a short communal autonomy. King Frederick III of Sicily
Frederick III of Sicily
Frederick II was the regent and subsequently King of Sicily from 1295 until his death. He was the third son of Peter III of Aragon and served in the War of the Sicilian Vespers on behalf of his father and brothers, Alfonso and James...
favored it and embellished the city; it however suffered a period of decay under the Spanish domination. It was restored as provincial capital in the 1920s. It has become a university city in 2002.
Classical mythology
The neighborhood of Enna is celebrated in mythological story as the place whence Proserpine was carried off by PlutoPluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
. The exact spot assigned by local tradition as the scene of this event was a small lake surrounded by lofty and precipitous hills, about 8 km from Enna, the meadows on the banks of which abounded in flowers, while a cavern or grotto hard by was shown as that from which the infernal king suddenly emerged. This lake is called "Pergus" by Ovid and Claudian, but it is remarkable that neither Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
nor Diodorus speaks of any lake in particular as the scene of the occurrence: the former however says, that around Enna were lacus lucique plurimi, et laetissimi flores omni tempore anni. Diodorus, on the contrary, describes the spot whence Proserpine was carried off as a meadow abounding in flowers, especially odoriferous ones, to such a degree that it was impossible for hounds to follow their prey by the scent across this tract: he speaks of it as enclosed on all sides by steep cliffs, and having groves and marshes in the neighborhood, but makes no mention of a lake. The cavern however is alluded to by him as well as by Cicero, and would seem to point to a definite locality. At the present day there still remains a small lake in a basin-shaped hollow surrounded by great hills, and a cavern near it is still pointed out as that described by Cicero and Diodorus, but the flowers have in great measure disappeared, as well as the groves and woods which formerly surrounded the spot, and by the 19th century, the scene was described by travelers as bare and desolate.
The connection of this myth with Enna naturally led to (if it did not rather arise from) the peculiar worship of the two goddesses Ceres and Proserpine in that city: and we learn from Cicero that there was a temple of Ceres of such great antiquity and sanctity that the Sicilians repaired thither with a feeling of religious awe, as if it were the goddess herself rather than her sanctuary that they were about to visit. Yet this did not preserve it from the sacrilegious hands of Verres, who carried off from there a bronze image of the deity herself, the most ancient as well as the most venerated in Sicily. No remains of this temple are now visible: according to Fazello it stood on the brink of the precipice, and has been wholly carried away by the falling down of great masses of rock from the edge of the cliff. Nor are there any other vestiges of antiquity still remaining at Enna: they were probably destroyed by the Saracens, who erected the castle and several other of the most prominent buildings of the modern city.
Coinage
There exist coins of Enna under the Roman dominion, with the legend "MUN. (Municipium) HENNA" thus confirming the authority of Cicero, all the best manuscripts of which have the aspirated form of the name. The most ancient Greek coin of the city also gives the name "ΗΕΝΝΑΙΟΝ" there is therefore little doubt that this form (Henna) of the ancient name is the more correct, though Enna is the more usual.University, culture and education
Enna is now an important center in archaeological and educational studies. The Kore University of Enna was officially founded in 2004.Monuments
The most important monuments of Enna are:- The Castello di LombardìaCastello di Lombardiathumb|280px|A view of the Castello di Lombardia.The Castello di Lombardia is a castle in Enna, Sicily, southern Italy. It is one of the largest and most ancient edifices in southern Italy, with an area of some 25,000 m².-History:...
(Lombardy Castle), perhaps the most important example of military architecture in Sicily. It was created in very old times by Sicanians, rebuilt by Frederick II of Sicily and restructured under Frederick II of AragonFrederick III of SicilyFrederick II was the regent and subsequently King of Sicily from 1295 until his death. He was the third son of Peter III of Aragon and served in the War of the Sicilian Vespers on behalf of his father and brothers, Alfonso and James...
. The castle, which bears this name because of the garrison of Lombard troops that defended it in Norman times, has an irregular layout which once comprised 20 towers: of the six remaining, the Torre Pisana is the best preserved one. It has Guelph merlons. The castle was divided into three different spaces separated by walls: the first courtyardCourtyardA court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
is home to a renowned outdoor lyric theater in which high quality shows are performed; the second one houses a large green park, while in the third courtyard it is possible to see the vestiges of royal apartments, a bishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
's chapel, medieval prisons and the Pisan Tower.
- The Duomo (Cathedral), a noteworthy example of religious architecture in Sicily, built in the 14th century by queen Eleonora, Frederick III's wife, but largely renovated after the fire of 1446. The great Baroque facade, in yellow tufa-stone, is surmounted by a massive campanileCampanileCampanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
with finely shaped decorative elements. The portal on the right side is from the 16th century, while the other is from the original 14th century edifice. The interior has a nave with two aisles separated by massive Corinthian columns, and three apses. The stucco decoration is from the 16th and 17th centuries. Art works include a 15th century crucifix panel painting, a canvas by Guglielmo BorremansGuglielmo BorremansGuglielmo Borremans was a painter, born in Antwerp. He was mainly active in Italy, especially in Naples and Sicily, where he frescoed the walls and ceilings of several churches.- Life :...
, the presbytery paintings by Filippo Paladini (1613), a BaroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
side portal. The cathedral's treasure is housed in the Alessi Museum, and has precious ornaments, the gold crown with diamonds "Crown of the Virgin," Byzantine icons, thousands of ancient coins and other collections. - Palazzo Varisano, housing the Regional Archaeological Museum of Enna, with material dating from the Copper AgeCopper AgeThe Chalcolithic |stone]]") period or Copper Age, also known as the Eneolithic/Æneolithic , is a phase of the Bronze Age in which the addition of tin to copper to form bronze during smelting remained yet unknown by the metallurgists of the times...
to the 6th century AD coming from many archaeological areas in the Province of EnnaProvince of EnnaEnna is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Enna.It has an area of 2,562 km², and a total population of 177,200 . There are 20 comunes in the province, see Comunes of the Province of Enna...
. - Torre di Federico, an octagonal ancient tower which was allegedly a summer residence of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen. The two floors possess beautiful vaultsVault (architecture)A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
. The aspect of the building is austere. It was part of a bigger complex, named Old castle and destroyed by Arabs, of which nowadays there remain some pieces of the old, imposing walls on the top of the green hill housing municipal gardens where the Tower rises. - The Campanile of the destroyed church of San Giovanni, features pointed arches with finely shaped archivolts, and a three light mullioned window with Catalan-style decorations.
- The Municipal Library, located in the San Francesco building. The latter church has a noteworthy 15th century campanile and, in the interior, a fine painted Cross from the same century.
- The church of San Tommaso is also of note for its 15th century belfry, with three orders. It has windows framed by an agile full-centered archivolt. The church contains a marble icon (1515) attributed to Giuliano Mancino and precious frescoes by Borremans.
- The Janniscuru Gate is the only one preserved of the 7 old gates once located at the entrance of the town. It is a fine 17th century Roman arch, positioned in a charming natural setting under old steps in an area very rich in rock grottoes used as a necropolis thousands of years ago, just under the ancient, traditional quarter of Fundrisi.
Pergusa lake and archaeologic site
Lake Pergusa (LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: Pergus lacus or Hennaeus lacus) is set between a group of mountains in the chain of Erei, and it is located 5 km from Enna. It is a vital place in the migratory current of lots of birds. In addition to birds, which are certainly the protagonists of the Pergusa nature reserve, here there are also interesting species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.
Around the lake, there is the most important racing track of Southern Italy, the Autodromo di Pergusa
Autodromo di Pergusa
The Autodromo di Pergusa is an automobile and motorcycle circuit that encircles the only Sicilian natural lake, Pergusa Lake. The circuit is also known as Enna-Pergusa, as the lake is located near the city of Enna....
, that hosted international competitions and events, such as Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, Formula 3000 and a Ferrari Festival with Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
.
In the area of Pergusa lake we can also find an archaeological site, known as Cozzo Matrice, practically the rests of an old fortified village, where some imposing walls dating about 8000 BC, a sacred citadel, a rich necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
and the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to Demeter
Demeter
In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...
, dating more than 2000 years ago.
The important forest and green area named Selva Pergusina (that means "Pergusa's Wood") surrounds a part of the Lake Pergusa Valley, evocating a scenographic panorama.
Pergusa is strongly linked to the myth of the Greek Persephone
Persephone
In Greek mythology, Persephone , also called Kore , is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld; she was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld....
, Demeter
Demeter
In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains, the fertility of the earth, and the seasons . Her common surnames are Sito as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society...
's daughter, which was kidnapped here by Pluto
Pluto (mythology)
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Pluto was a name for the ruler of the underworld; the god was also known as Hades, a name for the underworld itself...
.
Sister cities
Mancomunidad de la Costa del Sol Occidental, SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Kastoria
Kastoria
Kastoria is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria peripheral unit. It is situated on a promontory on the western shore of Lake Orestiada, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Gharb
Gharb
Għarb is a village located at the westernmost point of the island of Gozo, Malta, with a population of 1,160 people . It started life as a small hamlet centuries ago. You can see its ancient roots in the centre of the village where some houses have fine examples of decorated stone balconies...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
Craiova
Craiova
Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
External links
- Notizie dell'ultima ora su Enna e Provincia
- Enna turismo tra archeologia e natura
- Province of Enna
- Tourist Agency of Enna