CATANIA (ancient CATANA), Italy, city of Sicily, in the province of Catania, on the borders of the valley of Noto, the see of a bishop, the suffragan of Monreal, 47 miles south-southwest of Messina, 85 east-southeast of Palermo. It is situated on a gulf of the Mediterranean, at the foot of Mount /Etna. This city has been repeatedly visited by violent earthquakes, and partially laid in ruins by lava from eruptions of Mount 'Etna. The most disastrous eruption was that of 1669, by which many of the antiquities of Catania were overwhelmed, and the worst earthquake was that of 1693, when 18,000 people were destroyed. Although again greatly injured by the earth quake of 1783, Catania is now reviving with great splendor and has much more the features of a metropolis than Palermo. The principal streets are wide and well paved with lava. Most of the edifices have an air of magnificence unknown in other parts of the island, and the town has a title to rank among the elegant cities of Europe. An obelisk of red granite, placed on the back of an antique elephant of touch stone, stands in the centre of the great square, which is formed by the town-hall, seminary and cathedral. The cathedral, a fine building, was founded in 1091 by Count Roger, but required to be mostly rebuilt after the earth quake of 1693. It is dedicated to Saint Agatha, the patroness of the city. The suppressed Bene dictine monastery of Saint Nicholas, comprising a church (with splendid organ), library, mu seum and other extensive buildings, was long celebrated for wealth and splendor. The uni versity, founded about 1445, has about 1,200 students, a school of pharmacy, a library of over 130,000 volumes and a fine collection of shells. The ruins of the amphitheatre, which
was more extensive than the Coliseum at Rome, are still to be seen, as also the remains of the theatre, baths, aqueducts, sepulchral chambers, hippodrome and several temples. The indus tries include the manufacture of silk, linen and cotton goods, and objects in lava, wood, mar ble and Sicilian amber, and the mining of sulphur. The harbor was formerly a good one, but by the eruption of 1669 its entrance was almost entirely choked up, and it is only in recent times that it has been improved, a con siderable amount of money having been spent on it. The trade of Catania is of some im portance, the principal export being sulphur, next to which come oranges and lemons, almonds and other fruits and wine. Cereals, textiles and other manufactures are the chief imports. The exports have an average annual value of about $5,000,000. A circular railway runs from Catania round the base of Mount 'Etna. The classic Catana was founded by Greeks from Chalcis about 729 B.C. and soon became prosperous. It was the Athenian head quarters in the war between Athens and Syra cuse 432 B.C. It flourished under the Romans, by whom it was taken in 263 B.C. It was plun dered by the Saracens and fortified by the Normans, and in 1169 A.D. almost destroyed by an earthquake. It was restored in 1232 and fortified by Frederick II, and again flourished for four centuries until the great earthquake and eruption of 1669, which nearly filled up the harbor. Pop. 211,699.