The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-12-29

ocratic faction, or Mavizzi, the senate.
In 1914, appealed for aid TO the French.
who occupied the city. but soon
abandoned 1t. after having defeated
the combined feet OF Spain and Hol-
land.
Left In the hands OF the Spaniards.
the city was deprived OF It's political
liberties and soon lost it's commerciel
importance. The plague Of 1743 and
the earthquake OF 1888 carried OF a
considerable part OF it's population. In
1880 the place was occupied by Carl
baldi and In 1861 IL became a part Of
united Italy
Catania Is the capital Of the province
OF Catania, and the third largest city
in Sicily. being outranked In popula'
ton by Palermo and Messina- 10
front of the cathedral Is fountain
with an ancient statue OF an elephant,
made OF lava, bearing and Egyptian
granite obelisk.
In the cathedral, begun by Roger I.
in 1921 with materials taken
mostly from the ancient theater,
ond OF the original of which
little besides the choir has been
spared by earthquakes. Is the chapel
OF Agatha, tutelary saint OF Catania.
who was put to death In 251, and
whose festival is magnificently cele.
brated In February.
In the cathedral also is the monu-
ment OF the composer, Bellini. a NO
tive of Catania. The villa Bellini has
an attractive garden, containing busts
Of Bellini and others and a statue of
Mazzini
In summer Catania Is hotter than
Palermo. but In winter II is cooler.
on account OF the snow on Mount Ell
ma. The city formerly had epidemics
OF cholera but the sanitary conditions
lately has been excellent and the wa
ter supply Ia good. The lack OF prom.
enades and gardens has made Catania
less attractive to tourists than most
Italian cities. although the streets are
so broad and well kept, the private
and public buildings so large and well
built, and the situation 80 attractive
that ii is commonly called LA bel
! Ia"
! The chief attraction is Mount Etna.
which may he seen to a good advan-
ta2e from the tower OF San Nicola
and from the Villa Bellini.
The remains OF the ancient theater,
being mostly underground, can be in
! spected by torchlight only. The Ro-
man structure was erected on the
| foundation OF the Greek edifice, which
! Is perhaps the one In which Alcibi-
AIDES eloQuence in B. G. 4l5 induced
the Catanians to ally themselves with
Athens against Syracuse. Another
ancient Roman structure in Catania Is
| the adjacent church Of Santa Maria
Rotonda.
The Benedictine monastery of San
Nicola, formerly one OF the most beau
tiful In Europe. was destroyed by an
earthquake in 1893 and rebuilt by
1895. The institution was suppressed
in 1865. The building has since been
used for military and educational pur-
poses.
| Its grand baroque church contains
famous organ by Donate del Piano,
with five keyboards. 70 stops, and g.
9l6 pipes: the museum contains an
tiQuities in pottery, bronze, and mar
bic, medieval armor, and natural his
tory specimens: the library contains
| 10000 volumes and 300 MSS: and the
observatory is associated with that on
Mount Etna.
Under the Carmelite church all In
dirizzo at Catania, Is an ancient Ro-
man bath almost completely preserved
and not far from IL Is spring prob
ably fed by the underground river.
Amensnus, that energies just before
emptying into the harbor
The university (founded in 1444)
has about 1000 students formerly
over 10000. a school OF pharmacy, a
! library OF over 10000 volumes found
ed In 1850, and a fine collection OF
shells. The academy Of natural sci
ences founded in 1929 has always
been active In promoting the investi-
cations Of naturalists in Sicily.
| The country surrounding Catania.
on account of its fertility, has been
called the 'granary Of Sicily" and
produces. grain, hemp, fax. silk. cot
ton, wool, licor!ce, fruit. wine, and
oil. II also has sulphur and salt
mines and marble quarries. and Mount
! Etna supplies snow. The fisheries
are extensive. Commercially the city
| is attractive, is the residence Of a
United States consul. and has regular
communication by steamboat with
the other ports Of Sicily and of Italy,
and with the eastern Mediterranean
The classic Catania was founded b"
Greeks from Chalcis about d. C. 729.
and soon became prosperous. Here
In the sixth century, b. c.. died
Stesichorus. who created the chorus
Of the Greek drama, and the situation
OF whose tomb is said TO have given
name TO the Piazza Stesicorea.
In r. G. 476 the town was depopu.
lated by Hero l. and renamed Etna,
receiving a new population OF SYRIA
cusans and Peloponnesians, who were.
however, expelled In b. G. 46l. In
the war between Athens and Syracuse
Catania was the Athenian headquar.
tiers. In p. G. 400 II WAS sacked by
Dionysius; in B. C. 396 II was captur-
ed by the Carthaginians; and It was
one of the first Sicilian towns ac-
quired by the Romans, under whom
1t fourished greatly.
Catania suffered during the Servilc
and the civil wars II was taken
from Belisarius by the Goths. plumber
ed by the Saracens, fortified by the
Normans. and In A. ID. 1869 almost de.
stroyed by an earthquake. Being re-
stored In 1892. equipped by Frederick
III. with the fortress OF Rocco Orsina,
It fiourished under the Aragonese rul-
ers OF the fourteenth century. On
| March q 1850 in terr;fc eruptirr, ~