Fontana dell'Elefante

In the centre of Piazza del Duomo, the Fontana dell'Elefante is one of Catania’s best-known landmarks. Locals call the black lava-stone elephant u Liotru; it carries an Egyptian-style obelisk on its back. Architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini designed the fountain between 1735 and 1737, during the rebuilding of Catania after the 1693 earthquake. Pause to look at the elephant and obelisk, then take in the square’s cathedral and surrounding Baroque buildings. The piazza is a lively meeting place, and the fountain is worth seeing both for its unusual form and its place in the city’s identity.

The elephant and the obelisk

At the centre of Piazza del Duomo, a black lava-stone elephant carries an Egyptian-style obelisk. Known locally as u Liotru, the elephant is closely associated with Catania and has become the city’s emblem. The combination of elephant and obelisk gives the fountain its distinctive appearance.

The monument was designed by architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini between 1735 and 1737. Its construction came during the rebuilding of Catania after the devastating earthquake of 1693. The work brings together Baroque design and older-looking elements, including the basalt elephant.

A stop in Piazza del Duomo

The fountain stands in Catania’s central square, directly in front of the cathedral. From here, you can look across Piazza del Duomo to the surrounding historic buildings and take in the square as a whole. The piazza is also a gathering place, with live singers among the activity reported there.

Stories about the elephant’s origins vary. Some accounts connect the name Liotru with a local nobleman, while others link the figure to Hannibal. The monument’s older associations have also been tied to Catania’s history as a city known as the City of the Elephant during Muslim rule in Sicily. These accounts offer context for the symbol, but do not settle exactly how it became associated with the city.