Comune in Sicily, Italy
Enna
(
Italian pronunciation:
[??nna]
ⓘ
or
[?enna]
;
[3]
Ancient Greek
:
?ννα
;
Latin
:
Henna
, less frequently
Haenna
), known from the Middle Ages until 1926 as
Castrogiovanni
(
Sicilian
:
Castrugiuvanni
[?ka??(?)?dd???vann?]
), is a city and
comune
located roughly at the center of
Sicily
, southern Italy, in the
province of Enna
, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames
belvedere
(panoramic viewpoint) and
ombelico
("navel") of Sicily.
At 931 m (3,054 ft) above sea level, Enna is the highest Italian provincial capital.
History
[
edit
]
Enna is situated near the center of the island; whence the Roman writer
Cicero
called it
Mediterranea maxime
, reporting that it was within a
day's journey
of the nearest point on all the three coasts. The peculiar situation of Enna is described by several ancient authors, and is one of the most remarkable in Sicily. The ancient city was placed on the level summit of a gigantic hill, surrounded on all sides with precipitous cliffs almost wholly inaccessible. The few paths were easily defended, and the city was abundantly supplied with water which gushes from the face of the rocks on all sides. With a plain or tableland of about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) in circumference on the summit, it formed one of the strongest natural fortresses in the world.
[
citation needed
]
Prehistoric
[
edit
]
Archaeological excavations have revealed artifacts dating from the 14th century BC, proving human presence in the area since
Neolithic
times. A settlement from before the 11th century BC, assigned by some to the
Sicanians
, has been identified at the top of the hill; later it was a center of the
Sicels
.
[
citation needed
]
In historical times, Enna became renowned in Sicily and Italy for the cult of the goddess
Demeter
(the Roman
Ceres
). Her grove was known as the
umbilicus Siciliae
("The navel of Sicily"). Ceres' temple in Henna was a famed site of worship.
[4]
The origin of the toponym
Henna
remains obscure.
[
citation needed
]
Classical period
[
edit
]
Dionysius I of Syracuse
repeatedly attempted to take over Enna. At first he encouraged
Aeimnestus
, a citizen of Enna, to seize the sovereign power. Afterward Dionysius I turned against him and assisted the Ennaeans to get rid of their despot. But it was not till a later period that, after repeated expeditions against the neighbouring Sicilian cities, Dionysius took control of the city by betrayal in 397 BC.
[5]
Agathocles
later controlled Enna. When the
Agrigentines
under
Xenodicus
began to proclaim the restoration of the other cities of Sicily to freedom, the Ennaeans were the first to join their standard, and opened their gates to Xenodicus, 309 BC. Accounts of the
First Punic War
repeatedly refer to Enna; it was taken first by the
Carthaginians
under
Hamilcar
, and subsequently recaptured by the
Romans
, but in both instances by treachery and not by force.
[
citation needed
]
In the
Second Punic War
, while
Marcellus
was engaged in the siege of Syracuse (214 BC), Enna became the scene of a fearful massacre. The defection of several Sicilian towns from Rome had alarmed
Pinarius
the governor of Enna. In order to forestall any treachery, he used the Roman garrison to kill the citizens, whom he had gathered in the theater, and killed them all. The soldiers were allowed to plunder the city.
[
citation needed
]
Eighty years later Enna was the center of the
First Servile War
in Sicily (134 BC - 132 BC), which erupted under the lead of
Eunus
, a former slave. His forces took over Enna. It was the last place that held out against the proconsul
Rupilius
, and was at length betrayed into his hands. According to Strabo, the city suffered much damage after the Romans regained control. He believed this was the start of its decline.
[
citation needed
]
Cicero
referred to it repeatedly in a way to suggest that it was still a flourishing
municipal town
: it had a fertile territory, well-adapted for the growth of cereal grains, and was diligently cultivated till it was rendered almost desolate by the exactions of
Verres
. From this time little is known about Enna:
Strabo
speaks of it as still inhabited, though by a small population, in his time: and the name appears in
Pliny
among the municipal towns of Sicily, as well as in
Ptolemy
and the
Itineraries
.
[
citation needed
]
When the Roman Empire was divided in 395 AD, Sicily became part of the
Western Roman Empire
. The noted senatorial family of the Nicomachi had estates in Sicily. Around 408 AD the politician and grammarian
Nicomachus Flavianus
worked on an edition of the first 10 books of
Livy
during a stay on his estate in Enna. This was recorded in the subscriptions of the manuscripts of Livy.
[
citation needed
]
Middle Ages
[
edit
]
After the fall of the
Western Roman Empire
, Enna flourished throughout the Middle Ages as an important
Byzantine
stronghold. In 859, in the course of the
Islamic conquest of Sicily
, after several attempts and a long siege, the town was taken by Muslim troops, who entered one by one through a sewer to breach the town's defenses. Afterwards, 8,000 residents of the city were massacred by Muslim forces.
[6]
The Arabic name for the city,
Qa?r Y?nih
(
??? ????
, "Fort of John"), was a combination of
qa?r
(a corruption of the Latin
castrum
, "fortress"), and a corruption of
Henna
. The city retained its name in the local dialect of
Sicilian
as
Castru Janni
(Italianized as
Castrogiovanni
), until
Benito Mussolini
ordered renaming in 1927.
[
citation needed
]
The
Normans
captured Enna in 1087.
[5]
Frederick II
, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily, established a summer residence here, which is now called the
Torre di Federico
("Frederick Tower"). Troops of
North Italian
soldiers,
[7]
from regions such as
Lombardy
,
Piedmont
,
Liguria
and
Emilia-Romagna
, came to settle in the city and neighbouring towns such as
Nicosia
and
Piazza Armerina
.
Gallo-Italic dialects
are still spoken in these areas, dating from this early occupation.
[
citation needed
]
Enna had a prominent role in the
Sicilian Vespers
and the ensuing
War of the Sicilian Vespers
. Forced to retreat to the Sicilian interior in during the
Angevin invasion
of 1299, King
Frederick III of Sicily
chose the highly defensible Enna as his headquarters. The city blocked the Angevins from advancing into central Sicily, and an Angevin army attempting to advance on the city was defeated at the
Battle of Gagliano
in 1300.
[8]
Frederick III favored the city, embellishing it with honors, and following the vespers era Enna enjoyed a short communal autonomy. However, it suffered a period of decay under the later Spanish domination.
Modern
[
edit
]
It was restored as provincial capital in the 1920s. In 2002 it became a university city.
[
citation needed
]
The citizens of the city have a high incidence of
multiple sclerosis
(MS). MS is also prevalent in
Sardinia
, which has the second highest incidence in the
Mediterranean basin
.
[9]
Classical mythology
[
edit
]
The neighborhood of Enna is celebrated in myth as the place whence
Persephone
(
Latin
: Proserpine) was carried off by
Pluto
, god of the underworld.
[10]
The spot assigned by local tradition as the scene of this event was a small lake surrounded by lofty and precipitous hills, about 8 km from Enna. The meadows abound in flowers, and a nearby cavern or grotto was believed to be where the king suddenly emerged. This lake is called
"Pergus"
by Ovid
[11]
and Claudian.
[12]
Neither
Cicero
nor
Diodorus
refers to any lake in relation to this myth. The former says that around Enna were
lacus lucique plurimi, et laetissimi flores omni tempore anni
[13]
("very many lakes and groves, and very delightful flowers at every time of year"). Diodorus describes the spot whence Persephone was carried off as a meadow so full of fragrant flowers that hounds could not follow their prey. He described the meadow as enclosed on all sides by steep cliffs, and having groves and marshes in the neighborhood, but does not refer to a lake.
[14]
Both he and Cicero allude to a cavern, as if describing a definite site. In the 21st century, a small lake is found in a basin-shaped hollow surrounded by great hills, and a cavern near is noted as that described by Cicero and Diodorus. But much of the flowers and trees had disappeared by the 19th century, when travelers described the area as bare and desolate.
[15]
Both
Ceres
and Persephone were worshipped in Enna. Cicero said that the temple of Ceres was of such great antiquity and sanctity that Sicilians went there filled with religious awe.
Verres
looted from it a bronze image of the deity, the most ancient as well as the most venerated in Sicily.
[16]
No remains of this temple are now visible. Standing on the brink of the brink of the precipice, it fell with a great rockfall from the edge of the cliff.
[17]
Other remnants of classical antiquity were likely destroyed by the
Saracens
, who erected the castle and several other of the most prominent buildings of the modern city.
[18]
Ancient name Henna
[
edit
]
Coins minted for Enna under the Roman dominion still exist, carrying the legend "MUN. (Municipium) HENNA". The aspirated form of the name confirms the authority of Cicero, whose manuscripts give that form.
[19]
The most ancient Greek coin of the city also gives the name "ΗΕΝΝΑΙΟΝ".
[20]
Scholars have concluded that this form, Henna, of the ancient name is the more correct for its time, though Enna is the more usual.
University, culture and education
[
edit
]
Enna is now an important center for archaeological and educational studies. The
Kore University of Enna
was officially founded in 2002.
Main sights
[
edit
]
The most important monuments of Enna are:
- Castello di Lombardia
(
Lombardy Castle
): an important military architecture in Sicily. It was built by Sicanians, rebuilt by Frederick II of Sicily, and restructured under
Frederick II of Aragon
. The castle is named for the garrison of Lombard troops that defended it in the Norman era. It has an irregular layout which once comprised 20 towers: of the six remaining, the
Torre Pisana
is the best preserved. It has
Guelph merlons
. The castle was divided into three different spaces separated by walls. The first
courtyard
is the site of a renowned outdoor lyric theater; the second one houses a large green park, while the third courtyard includes the vestiges of royal apartments, a
bishop
's chapel, medieval prisons, and the
Pisan Tower
.
- Duomo of Enna
(Cathedral): built in the 14th century by queen
Eleonora
, Frederick III's wife. It was renovated and remodeled after the fire of 1446. The great Baroque facade, 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), and a
Baroque
side portal. The cathedral's treasure is housed in the Alessi Museum, and includes precious ornaments, the gold crown with diamonds known as the "Crown of the Virgin," Byzantine icons, thousands of ancient coins, and other collections.
- Palazzo Varisano
was adapted to house the Regional Archaeological Museum of Enna. It has material dating from the
Copper Age
to the 6th century AD, recovered from many archaeological areas in the
Province of Enna
.
- Torre di Federico
, is an octagonal ancient tower that was allegedly a summer residence of
Frederick II of Hohenstaufen
. 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. Remnants include some pieces of the old, imposing walls on the top of the green hill where the Tower rises.
- 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 Municipal Library is located in the
San Francesco
building, a former church. It has a notable 15th-century campanile and, in the interior, a fine painted Cross from the same century.
- San Tommaso
: church has a 15th-century belfry, with three orders. It has windows framed by an agile full-centered archivolt. The church contains a marble icon (1515) attributed to
Giuliano Mancino
and precious frescoes by Borremans.
- Janniscuru Gate
is the only one preserved of the seven gates that once gave entrance through the town wall. It is a fine 17th-century
Roman arch
, positioned in an area of rock grottoes under the ancient, traditional quarter of Fundrisi. These grottoes were used as a necropolis by ancient peoples thousands of years ago.
- Santissimi Salvatore
: church
- Anime Sante
church
- Spirito Santo
- Maria SS. Del Carmelo
- San Biagio
- San Michele Arcangelo
- S.Giovanni
- San Bartolomeo
- San Francesco
- San Giuseppe church
and convent
- San Leonardo
- Santa Chiara
church
- Santa Maria del Popolo
- Santa Maria La Donna Nuova
- Sant’Anna
- Santa Maria del Gesu
church and convent
- Maria SS. di Valverde
church
Pergusa lake and archaeologic site
[
edit
]
Lake Pergusa
(
Latin
:
Pergus lacus
or
Hennaeus lacus
) lies between a group of mountains in the chain of Erei, about 5 km from Enna. It is part of an important migratory flyway for many species of birds. The Pergusa nature reserve also has numerous species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.
Around the lake is the most important racing track of Southern Italy, the
Autodromo di Pergusa
. It has hosted international competitions and events, such as
Formula One
,
Formula 3000
, and a Ferrari Festival featuring
Michael Schumacher
.
Near Pergusa lake is the archaeological site known as
Cozzo Matrice.
These are the remains of an ancient prehistoric fortified village, with walls dating about 8000 BC. Other remains, dating to more than 2000 years ago, are a sacred citadel, a rich
necropolis
, and the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to
Demeter
.
Pergusa is strongly linked to the myth of the Greek
Persephone
,
Demeter
's daughter, who was kidnapped from here by Pluto and taken to
Hades
, the underworld, for part of the year. From that captivity, seasons arose.
The important forest and green area named
Selva Pergusina
(meaning Pergusa's Wood) surrounds a part of the Lake Pergusa Valley.
Climate
[
edit
]
The
Koppen Climate Classification
subtype for this climate is "
Csa
" (Mediterranean Climate).
[21]
Climate data for Enna (1991?2020, extremes 1946?present)
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
20.4
(68.7)
|
19.8
(67.6)
|
24.4
(75.9)
|
24.8
(76.6)
|
30.2
(86.4)
|
34.8
(94.6)
|
37.0
(98.6)
|
37.4
(99.3)
|
37.4
(99.3)
|
28.6
(83.5)
|
23.4
(74.1)
|
21.0
(69.8)
|
37.4
(99.3)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
8.4
(47.1)
|
8.8
(47.8)
|
11.5
(52.7)
|
14.8
(58.6)
|
20.2
(68.4)
|
26.0
(78.8)
|
29.3
(84.7)
|
29.5
(85.1)
|
24.1
(75.4)
|
19.4
(66.9)
|
13.9
(57.0)
|
9.7
(49.5)
|
18.0
(64.4)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
5.6
(42.1)
|
5.4
(41.7)
|
7.6
(45.7)
|
10.4
(50.7)
|
15.3
(59.5)
|
20.6
(69.1)
|
23.5
(74.3)
|
23.7
(74.7)
|
19.0
(66.2)
|
15.3
(59.5)
|
10.7
(51.3)
|
7.0
(44.6)
|
13.7
(56.7)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
3.5
(38.3)
|
3.2
(37.8)
|
4.9
(40.8)
|
7.3
(45.1)
|
11.6
(52.9)
|
16.6
(61.9)
|
19.4
(66.9)
|
19.9
(67.8)
|
15.7
(60.3)
|
12.7
(54.9)
|
8.6
(47.5)
|
5.2
(41.4)
|
10.7
(51.3)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
?5.8
(21.6)
|
?5.4
(22.3)
|
?7.0
(19.4)
|
?1.4
(29.5)
|
0.6
(33.1)
|
6.8
(44.2)
|
9.4
(48.9)
|
11.4
(52.5)
|
8.4
(47.1)
|
3.2
(37.8)
|
?1.2
(29.8)
|
?5.2
(22.6)
|
?7.0
(19.4)
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
82.4
(3.24)
|
65.0
(2.56)
|
67.2
(2.65)
|
78.7
(3.10)
|
27.1
(1.07)
|
25.1
(0.99)
|
11.1
(0.44)
|
32.2
(1.27)
|
45.4
(1.79)
|
69.1
(2.72)
|
68.0
(2.68)
|
64.1
(2.52)
|
635.3
(25.01)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 1.0 mm)
|
8.4
|
8.2
|
7.7
|
6.4
|
3.6
|
2.4
|
1.3
|
2.8
|
5.0
|
6.2
|
7.3
|
8.2
|
67.3
|
Average
relative humidity
(%)
|
78.4
|
76.2
|
70.9
|
68.6
|
61.8
|
56.3
|
55.9
|
58.1
|
69.0
|
73.9
|
79.0
|
81.5
|
69.1
|
Average
dew point
°C (°F)
|
2.5
(36.5)
|
1.8
(35.2)
|
2.2
(36.0)
|
4.3
(39.7)
|
6.7
(44.1)
|
9.7
(49.5)
|
12.2
(54.0)
|
13.3
(55.9)
|
12.8
(55.0)
|
10.6
(51.1)
|
7.7
(45.9)
|
4.6
(40.3)
|
7.4
(45.3)
|
Source 1:
NOAA
[22]
|
Source 2:
Servizio Meteorologico
(extremes)
[23]
|
Government
[
edit
]
Sister cities
[
edit
]
Notable people
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011"
. Italian National Institute of Statistics
. Retrieved
16 March
2019
.
- ^
"Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018"
. Italian National Institute of Statistics
. Retrieved
16 March
2019
.
- ^
Luciano Canepari
.
"Enna"
.
DiPI Online
(in Italian)
. Retrieved
13 January
2021
.
- ^
Spaeth, Barbette S.
(1996).
The Roman Goddess Ceres
. U. of Texas Press. pp. 73?74, 78?79, 129.
ISBN
0-292-77693-4
.
- ^
a
b
Chisholm, Hugh
, ed. (1911).
"Castrogiovanni"
.
Encyclopædia Britannica
. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 484.
- ^
Paul Fregosi
(1998)
Jihad in the West: Muslim Conquests from the 7th to the 21st Centuries
, pp. 132-133.
- ^
"I Normanni - Il Campanile Enna"
.
- ^
Stanton, Charles D. “LAURIA’S LAST GREAT CAMPAIGN (SUMMER 1299?SPRING 1300).” In
Roger of Lauria (c.1250-1305): “Admiral of Admirals,”
NED-New edition., 271?88. Boydell & Brewer, 2019.
doi
:
10.2307/j.ctvd58tqg.23
.
- ^
Grimaldi, L. M.E.; Salemi, G.; Grimaldi, G.; Rizzo, A.; Marziolo, R.; Lo Presti, C.; Maimone, D.; Savettieri, G. (2001).
"High incidence and increasing prevalence of MS in Enna (Sicily), southern Italy"
.
Neurology
.
57
(10): 1891?1893.
doi
:
10.1212/WNL.57.10.1891
.
PMID
11723283
.
S2CID
34895995
.
- ^
Ovid
,
Met.
v. 385-408;
Claudian
,
de Rapt. Proserp.
ii.; Diod. v. 3.
- ^
Met.
v. 386.
- ^
l. c.
ii. 112.
- ^
Cicero,
In Verrem
iv. 48.
- ^
v. 3.
- ^
Richard Hoare
(1819)
Classical Tour
. London: J. Mawman, vol. ii, p. 252;
Gustav Parthey
(1834)
Wanderungen durch Sicilien und die Levante
. Berlin: Nicolaische Buchhandlung, Tl. 1, p. 135;
Marquis of Ormonde
(1850)
Autumn in Sicily
. Dublin: Hodges and Smith, p. 106, who has given a view of the lake.
- ^
Cicero
In Verrem
iv. 4. 8.
- ^
Fazello, Tommaso
x. 2. p. 444; M. of Ormonde, p. 92.
- ^
Hoare,
l. c.
p. 249.
- ^
Zumpt,
ad Verr.
p. 392.
- ^
Eckhel
, vol. i. p. 206.
- ^
Climate Summary for Enna, Italy
- ^
"World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 ? Enna"
. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. Retrieved
February 4,
2024
.
- ^
"Enna: Record mensili dal 1946"
(in Italian). Servizio Meteorologico dell’Aeronautica Militare
. Retrieved
February 23,
2016
.
External links
[
edit
]
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Enna
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