Welcome to
Enna
from Jesse's Journeys in Italy
Population: 28,476 (2004)
Official site:
Enna
Wikipedia:
Enna
Map:
MapQuest
Settled by the
Siculi, one of three
indigenous tribes who had
settled in Sicily prior to the
arrival of the Greeks (the
others being the Elami and the
Secani), Enna sits high above
the surrounding country.
It is the capital of the
Province of Enna, and, at about
1000 meters, the highest capital
city in Italy.
Commanding the heights as it
does, the city has been of
strategic importance from the
first days of its habitation,
possibly as early as 1200 BC.
It's strategic location resulted
in it being much desired by a
succession of warring empires.
As a result the city and its
principal buildings have been
been repeatedly destroyed,
rebuilt, refortified, replaced
and refurbished, even up to
recent times, giving the city a
multi-layered, long-lived in
look and feel.
The history of the city, of
course, parallels that of the
Island of Sicily in all
important respects with rule
passing from
Greeks to
Romans
to
Byzantines
to Arabs to
Normans,
then to the Spanish and French.
Sicily, of course, was
integrated into what became the
modern state of Italy in 1860.
Today, of course, the city of
Enna offers travelers
jaw-dropping views of Sicily's
interior, all the way to
Mount Etna on its
eastern side. In and near
the city itself are other
attractions, including strolling
the streets and piazzas of the
centro storico - the
historical cente, which largely
follows Via Roma from its
highpoint in the northeast where
one finds Enna's most impressive
ancient building, the
Castello di Lombardia.
The castle
was built in the late 13th or
very early 14th century by
Frederick III on existing
fortifications built by previous
occupiers, some think as a
summer residence. Only 6
of its original 20 towers
remain, the best preserved being
the Torre Pisana,
probably the highest of the
original towers. Climb its
stairs to take in incredible
views of the Dittaino valley
below.
The castle's irregular shape
encompasses three separately
walled spaces, one, the
courtyard, now used by a summer
theater group, another a green
park and the latter an area
overlooked by what were once the
royal apartments and a Bishop's
chapel. Below ground -
various prisons in which you
would not want to have been
tossed and tortured.
Archaelogical "digs" still take
place in the complex.
The Duomo - or Cathedral
- of Enna dates to the early
13th century. It has been
destroyed and rebuilt and
renovated several times so
incororates features from almost
every architectural period from
Romanesque to
Gothic
to
Baroque.
Its facade, carved largely out
of yellow tufa is of the latter
period.
The Cathedral's campanile
- or bell tower - nicely
decorated to reduce its
massiveness looms above the main
portal. The nave is
separated from its two side
aisles with soaring Corinthian
columns. There are lovely
works by lesser known artists
such as Borremans and Paladini,
and decorative stucco from the
16th and 17th centuries.
Much of the ancient treasure of
the Cathedral, including a
diamond studded crown, the
"Crown of the Virgin", has made
its way into the extensive
collection of the nearby
Alessi Museum. Those
who also enjoy an archaeological
approach to history will enjoy
the Archaeological Museum
housed in the Palazzo
Varisano, which has
artifacts from around the entire
Province of Enna dating back to
the 6th century BC.
Three other churches bear
mentioning: First, down the Via
Roma from the castello, the
Chiesa San Francesco,
with a painted cross from the
15th century in its interior,
and a tower dating from the same
period that was part of the
city's fortifications. The
Church overlooks Piazza
Vittorio Emanuele II, Enna's
principal gathering place, venue
of the evening passeggiata.
Here you will also find a low
wall sitting high above the
valleys below where you can
think romantic, or other
out-of-body thoughts.
Second, Chiesa San Giovani,
in Piazza Coppola, is
notable mostly for a bell tower
that features pointed arches,
beautiful archivolts and a
mullioned window with
decorations suggestive of
Catalan influence. Lastly,
Chiesa di San Tommaso,
from the 14th and 15th centuries
has many interesting features.
The city was once surrounded by
walls, and entrance was gained
through one of seven gates,
Porta Janniscuru, in the
Fundrisi quarter being the
only one left. Outside the
gate, the area is permeated by
grottoes which at one time were
part of an extensive necropolis
- a city of the dead.
In Piazza Crispi there is a copy
of the Rape of Persephone by
Bernini - significant
because according to myth,
Persephone was abducted from
the shores of nearby Lake
Pergusa.
Slightly further down via Roma
on Enna's southern flank, the
Torre Fredrico, like the
tower of the Chiesa San
Francesco, and the Castle, part
of the cities medieval
fortifications.
So, that's mostly "it" about
Enna, a city whose location at
the top of central Sicily is its
most compelling feature.
Combined with visits to nearby
Piazza Armerina and
Morgantina, it is a more
than worthy focus of the
traveler's attention.
by Vian Andrews, December 6th,
2006 |
Region of Sicilia |
37°58′N 12°58′E |
|
Distances |
Agrigento - 88 km;
Catania - 89 km;
Cefalu -
98 km;
Ragusa - 127 km;
Palermo - 128 km;
Siracusa
- 137 km;
Taormina - 138 km;
Sciacca - 150
km;
Trapani -
236 km |
Directory
|
Tourist office
Via Roma 413
Mon-Sat 9AM - 1PM;
3PM-7PM (closed Sat
in winter)
Tel: 0935-528-928 |
Places
to stay |
Grand
Hotel
Sicilia |
Restaurants |
Tiffany
- Via
Roma 487
(near
the
cathedral)
pizza
and
other
light
fare |
Ristorante
Ariston
- Via
Roma 353
- full
meals,
on the
pricey
side |
|
Coat of Arms of Enna, Sicily |
|
Contribute |
Tell
us about your trip to Enna. What
were your favorite places to visit,
stay, and dine.
Talk Italy Forums |
|
The city was known as Henna by
the Greeks, and perhaps its original
inhabitants, but eventually took on the
name Castrogiovanni.
Mussolini restored it to the name Enna
in 1927. |
|
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