About Me
Enna, the ancient Haenna, is a city located in the center of Sicily in the province of Enna, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned a few nicknames, such as "belvedere" (panoramic viewpoint) or the "ombelico" (navel) of Sicily.Enna is the highest provincial capital of Italy.
-History
Archaeological findings have showed the area of today's Enna was settled since prehistorical times.
The colony of Henna was founded on this high plateau in 664 BC by colonists from Gela eager to exploit the area's agricultural resources.
In 397 BC the town fell to Dionysius of Syracuse and it remained in Syracusan hands until the 3rd century BC when it entered the orbit of Roman power.
In 859 AD it was the turn of the Saracens, who had to sneak in one by one through a sewer to breach the town's hardy defenses.
Their name for it was a combination of "qas'r" (from the Latin "castrum", fort), and "Ianni", a corruption of "Henna". The result, Qas'r Ianni (Fort of John), was the Saracen name for the town. Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily, established a summer residence here.
After the displacement of the Saracens, in the Middle Ages the name was Latinized to Castrogiovanni (maintaining the meaning "Fort of John"), by which it was known until 1927, when it was changed back to Enna by Mussolini. Today, the town is still important as an agricultural center.
-University, culture and education
Enna is now an important centre in archeological and educational studies. The University Kore of Enna, which already became a great protagonist among Italian universities, in quality, boom of students and international relationship, was officially founded in 2004
Main sights
-Monuments
-The most important monuments of Enna are:
* The Castello di Lombardìa (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 Aragon. 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 courtyard is home to a renowned outdoor lyric theatre 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 bishop'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. Tha great Baroque façade, in yellow tufa-stone, is surmounted by a massive campanile 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 Borremans, the presbytery paintings by Filippo Paladini (1613), a Baroque 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 Age to the 6th century AD coming from many archaeologic areas in the Province of Enna.
* Torre di Federico, an octagonal ancient tower which was allegedly a summer residence of Frederick III of Aragon. The two floors possess beautiful vaults. 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 church of San Tommaso is also of note for its 15th century belfry, with three orders. It has windows framed by an agile full-centred 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.
