description Catania Obelisk Overview
The Catania Obelisk is the granite obelisk set above the Fontana dell'Elefante in Piazza del Duomo, the main square of Catania, Sicily. The monument combines an Egyptian-style obelisk bearing hieroglyphic inscriptions with a black lava elephant, which serves as a civic symbol of the city. Architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini arranged the fountain and its sculptural composition in the eighteenth century during Catania's Baroque rebuilding.
help Catania Obelisk FAQ
Where is the Catania Obelisk located?
The Catania Obelisk stands above the Fontana dell'Elefante in Piazza del Duomo, the main square of Catania, Sicily. It forms the upper part of the fountain's elephant-and-obelisk civic monument.
What is the Catania Obelisk made from?
It is a granite obelisk, traditionally associated with Syene in Egypt. The monument is mounted on a black lava elephant, linking the Egyptian-style stone with Catania's volcanic landscape.
Who designed the fountain supporting the Catania Obelisk?
The Fontana dell'Elefante was designed by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini in the eighteenth century. The fountain was completed between 1735 and 1737 in the center of Piazza del Duomo.
Why is the Catania Obelisk important to the city?
It is part of the Fontana dell'Elefante, one of Catania's best-known civic symbols. The black lava elephant and the granite obelisk combine local Sicilian identity with an Egyptian-style monument.
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