The Elephant Fountain in Catania

One of the symbols of Catania is the Elephant Fountain or Fontana dell'Elefante. It is believed that the elephants were brought to Sicily by the Arabs, or even Hannibal himself. However, the fountain on the Cathedral Square created by Vicarini is the fountain itself, in the center of which a statue of an elephant made of black basalt rises on the pedestal, holding an Egyptian obelisk on its back, crowned with a Christian symbol-cross. Many legends are associated with the origin of the fountain in the city. According to one of them, Etna brought a black elephant and an obelisk with lava to the city. However, in the chronicles there is a mention that the figure of a black elephant stood on Cathedral Square already in 1239 (!) and was inside the city walls of Catania and served, and still serves as a symbol of the city.