The restoration of the liotru, the symbol of the city of Catania, began this morning at the request of the municipal administration following damage that affected its beauty and functionality. The Elephant will be further enhanced, along with the fountain it is part of.
Il liotru between history and legend
liotru This is the name by which the people of Catania affectionately call the stone elephant placed on the fountain in the center of Piazza Duomo. The name is a dialectal corruption of Heliodorus, a legendary figure from Catania. He was a magician or necromancer who lived in 725 AD and used to play pranks on the people of Catania after being rejected for the office of bishop.
It is said that it was he who sculpted the elephant from the boiling lava of Etna and breathed life into it. With this animal the magician flew across the sky from Catania to Constantinople. In fact, it was spoken of as "u cavaddu i Liotru” (“Heliodorus' horse“). Heliodorus was punished with the death penalty by Bishop Leo II, burned alive in Achelles ForumFrom then on his legendary figure became even more famous and inextricably linked to the statue.
The symbolic statue of Catania
The elephant, whose author is unknown, is a black basalt statue; it was probably created during the Carthaginian or Byzantine domination. It was thought to place on its back a 3,66-meter-high granite obelisk of Egyptian origin, originally from Syene and brought to Catania during the Crusades. It would not have hieroglyphics. On its top are a globe surrounded by a crown with a palm leaf, Christian symbols that are linked to the inscription on a metal tablet with the acronym "MSSHDEPL" («Healthy and sincere mind, for the honor of God and for the liberation of his homeland») dedicated to St. Agatha.
According to a widespread notion in Catania, the elephant was placed in a public square to serve as a style, or as a gnomon, to indicate the time with its shadow cast on a dial traced on the ground, like a sort of sundial. The Liotru is therefore "heliotric".
Vaccarini added white stone eyes and tusks, then hoisted it onto the monumental fountain with its trunk pointing toward Saint Agatha. A marble caparison drapes over the elephant, engraved with the coats of arms of Saint Agatha. The Liotru became the city's symbol in 1239.
The various hypotheses on Liotru
Historian Pietro Carrera da Militello, in his book Memorie Historiche della città di Catania, believes the elephant symbolizes a military victory won by the people of Catania over the Libyans. Arab geographer Idrisi advances the idea that the elephant was a symbol of protection against volcanic eruptions for the inhabitants; according to his hypothesis, the statue was built during Carthaginian rule. Ignazio II Paternò Castello, Santi Consoli, and Matteo Gaudioso believe the elephant came from a circus (it was later discovered that the obelisk was actually one of the attractions of an ancient circus) or that it was a reminder of a religion whose traces have now been completely lost. Others maintain that when Catania was founded, it was populated by wild animals that were chased away by an elephant. Thus, the people of Catania erected a statue as a sign of gratitude.
The fountain of the liotru
After the earthquake, the Liotru suffered damage. It was considered moving it inside a monument, and the idea of creating a fountain in the center of the square was born. The fountain represents the two rivers Simeto and Amenano. It was created by G. Battista Vaccarini between 1735 and 1737. The Elephant Fountain presents a blend of pagan and Christian symbols, as well as references to literature and myth, according to the wishes of Catania's elite.
The first basin was built in 1757. In 1826, the Elephant Fountain was enclosed by an iron fence, the work of Sebastiano Ittar. Again, in 1862, the Elephant statue was to be moved beyond the Porta Garibaldi, but this operation was prevented by a great popular uprising, which firmly opposed the relocation of the statue, which remained there.
In 1905 Davide Formisano created the second, more external basin (not visible today because it was removed during a renovation of Piazza Duomo around 1999).
The liotru, as Gianni Sineri recounts during his tours, was repeatedly turned in all directions. It is said that the ladies were often embarrassed by the pachyderm's exposed genitals. Or that it was turned depending on whether the secular civil power was stronger than the religious one. These tours also caused considerable damage. Furthermore, in Catania the saying is also well known:give Liotru a bidet", a jovial tradition born among university freshmen who, for good luck, would polish the elephant's jewelry with a toothbrush. From this, other legends and stories about the pachyderm's virility and its close connection with the people of Catania would be born.
Restoration of the Elephant Fountain in Piazza Duomo
Last Thursday 13th April, in the council room of Palazzo degli Elefanti in the presence of the Extraordinary Commissioner Piero Mattei, the intervention plan for the restoration of the marble apparatus of the fountain.
The works, promoted by the Municipal Administration through the Public Works Department, were necessary to clean the site from the thick layers of carbonate and to contain the dispersion of water which creates the formation of biological patinas that affect the chromatic balance achieved by Giovan Battista Vaccarini and cause serious damage to the functional apparatus of the fountain itself.
The greatest damage is found in the central section, in the allegorical female figures. Furthermore, in recent years it has suffered numerous scratches and defacements.
Jobs
The construction site for the works has been entrusted to Scancarello, a company specialized in conservative restorations which will operate with the technical support of other bodies responsible for the care and protection of historical architectural assets of cultural value, of the University, of professional orders and of theAnce.
La Scancarello company The project will lead the activities by sharing the various stages of the restoration project with residents through interactive digital applications. The project will remain open for approximately two months, giving everyone the opportunity to share their views on the restoration process.
Salvo Ligama's speech
Once again, the street artist Except Ligama will embellish our city with his works: he will create around twenty artistic panels to cover the outside of the fountain where the works will take place, collaborating with theAcademy of Fine Arts of Catania.
In addition, theUniversità di Catania (Italy), in agreement with the Municipality, will allow the Engineering and Architecture students to closely follow the restoration work.
Recovery and restoration works thanks to the tourist tax
The work is being carried out using the tourist tax, without impacting the budget. The project is aimed at improving the condition of the heart of the city's historic center.
After restoration of part of the fish market and the ancient fountain of the seven canals, Catania is ready to offer itself in all its beauty to the many tourists who crowd its streets.
photo of S. Portale
source: https://www.comune.catania.it/informazioni/cstampa/?cs=87273
