Why Is the Elephant the Symbol of the City of Catania? Between history and legends, a city destroyed over the centuries by wars, earthquakes, and buried beneath lava flows, yet always “reborn,” as Professor Santi Correnti described it. He was a university professor of Sicilian History and a passionate scholar of our land. Walking through the streets of this baroque and monumental city, have we ever wondered why the elephant became the symbol of the city?

As Santi Correnti wrote, “all Catanian legends have a connection with historical reality”; they blend myth and legend and all contain a historical foundation.

The Legend of the Victory Against the Libyans

Not everyone knows that on the curtain of the Teatro Massimo Bellini, painted by Giuseppe Sciuti, there is a depiction of the battle between the people of Catania and the Libyans. This victory existed only in the imagination of the people of Catania and, according to historian Pietro Carrera, the Catanians captured the Libyan elephants, and therefore the elephant became the symbol of this important victory.

Liotru and the Magician Eliodoro

“Liotru or Diotru” is the name given to the lava stone statue that has stood for centuries in Piazza del Duomo. The name is linked to the magician Eliodoro, who lived during the 8th century and rode the elephant while performing his magical feats.

In Aci Castello another ancient legend was told: an elephant chased away all the harmful animals from Catania and was therefore chosen as the city’s symbol.

The Historical Theory of the Prince of Biscari

Another hypothesis dates back to 1781 and was proposed by the architect Ignazio Paternò Castello, Prince of Biscari, who connected the elephant to an ornament from the ancient Catanian circus. This theory was considered plausible not because of the elephant itself, but because of the obelisk resting on its back, believed to have been a turning marker in the circus arena.

The symbol can be found almost everywhere: from the decorations of the town hall, known as the “Palace of the Elephants,” to the city’s coat of arms featuring a small red elephant.

“Marca Liotru”: The Pride of the People of Catania

The people of Catania have grown deeply attached to their pachyderm, so much so that older citizens describe themselves as “marchio elefante” (more commonly “marca liotru”), meaning they are true natives of Catania and not from the surrounding province.

Considered a talisman during the Byzantine age against the fury of the volcano, the elephant was described by Pliny the Elder as “the animal closest to man.”

The Liotru Between History, Art, and Symbolism

The monument, restored and completed by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini in 1731, embodies three civilizations: Sicilian through the elephant, Egyptian through the obelisk, and Christian through the cross and the reference to Saint Agatha.

Finally, the elephant may also be considered a symbol of wisdom, as in Eastern cultures, where the animal is regarded as sacred, intelligent, and powerful.

In India, it symbolizes immutability and the stability of the macrocosm. In ancient China, it represented wisdom and strength.

Proud of our elephant, its strength, monumental grandeur, and the deep historical roots hidden within the city of Catania, let us not forget to stop, reflect, and observe: every now and then, we too should feel like little elephants — wise, vigorous, and strong!

Text: Giovanna Muzzetta
Photos: Edoardo Murgo and from the Web