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48-582: In 2017, the city had a population of 62,797. It is the 14th largest municipality in Italy measured by area, the sixth highest municipality in Italy by elevation (568 m), the second highest in elevation in Sicily after the city of Enna (912 m). Its patron saint is Archangel Michael . The town lies in an area of rolling hills with small villages and towns, crossed by the River Salso . It borders on

96-612: A 30 metres (98 feet) sizable eruption created a mud deposit 30 metres (98 ft) thick and 30 metres (98 ft) wide, across a large area. On August 19, the first manifestations of further Maccalube eruptions appeared on top of the mud layer, where water and mud had been ejected by the previous eruption. The Terrapelata phenomenon has been known for at least two centuries. The local Abbot, Salvatore Li Volsi (1797–1834), an expert in natural and agricultural sciences, wrote Sul vulcano aereo di Terrapilata in Caltanissetta ('Regarding

144-487: A bronze image of the deity, the most ancient as well as the most venerated in Sicily. No remains of this temple are now visible. Standing on the brink of the precipice, it fell with a great rockfall from the edge of the cliff. 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. Coins minted for Enna under

192-453: 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. 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

240-546: A central square (now Piazza Garibaldi): the current Corso Vittorio Emanuele (west-east) and the Corso Umberto I (north-south). On July 8, 1718, the city was assaulted by Piedmontese troops, causing large loss of life to the population. In 1787 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited Caltanissetta. In 1812, the Moncada seignory ended after a rule of 406 years, when the feudal constitution was abolished and Caltanissetta

288-571: 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. The Normans captured Enna in 1087. 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, from regions such as Lombardy , Piedmont , Liguria and Emilia-Romagna , came to settle in

336-472: A mixture then forms a clay cone on the surface, the top of which is similar in appearance to a volcanic crater. These formations remains soft for some time, unlike the igneous rock eruptions and cones often associated with volcanoes such as Mount Etna. On 20 August 2008 a State of Emergency was declared because of events involving the Santa Barbara district in Caltanissetta in the preceding days. During

384-436: A more severe eruption and of instability of the terrain beneath the populated area of the town. These events had, in the past, extended even further into the city area; but they had never before happened at the same time as eruptions. Caltanissetta's origins can be traced back to 406 BC, when admiral Nicia of Hamilcar 's siege force from Carthage established a fort at the site, later called Castra Nicia (Fort Nicia). After

432-477: A part of the Lake Pergusa Valley. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is " Csa " (Mediterranean Climate). Hamilcar Hamilcar ( Punic : 𐤇𐤌𐤋𐤊‬ , ḤMLK , or 𐤇𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤕 , ḤMLQRT , " Melqart is Gracious"; ‹See Tfd› Greek : Ἁμίλκας , Hamílkas ; ) was a common Carthaginian masculine given name . The name was particularly common among

480-485: 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

528-508: A strongly identifying element with a profound historical and cultural value. In the 2021/2022 football championship, the two main teams are: The city also hosts "Città di Caltanissetta" Tennis Tournament, part of the ATP Challenger Tour. Enna Enna ( Italian pronunciation: [ˈɛnna] or [ˈenna] ; Ancient Greek : Ἔννα ; Latin : Henna , less frequently Haenna ), known from

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576-705: Is an omnidirectional antenna of 286 meters high, which holds the record for the tallest structure in Italy, it stands on the Sant'Anna hill of 660 m s.l.m. On November 23, 2021, the Regional Department of Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity indicated to the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of Caltanissetta, to initiate the new procedures for affixing the bond of cultural interest to the RAI radio antenna, deemed by local community and local organizations

624-443: Is related to the presence of extensive underground clay deposits, interspersed with layers of salt water. Maccaluba is created by ejection of methane gas bubbles under pressure. When gas breaks through the clay deposits, it creates channels as it rises to the surface. These channels permit the clay sediment and water to travel, especially when they are pressured from beneath. The consistency of the soft clay and water 'sludge' erupting as

672-451: Is the highest Italian provincial capital. 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

720-650: The Second Punic War , Castra Nicia came under Roman rule, but as in the rest of Sicily , the influence of the invaders remained superficial. In 829 AD, the city was occupied by the Saracens . The Carthaginian name, similar to the Arabic word نساء nisā’ (meaning 'women') resulted in the Saracen name قلعة النساء Qal‘at al-Nisā’ ('Fort of the Women'), since Italianized to Caltanissetta . The settlement

768-686: 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 . 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

816-546: The 1920s. In 2002 it became a university city. 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 . The neighborhood of Enna is celebrated in myth as the place whence Persephone ( Latin : Proserpine) was carried off by Pluto , god of the underworld. The spot assigned by local tradition as

864-514: 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. 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. Enna was restored as provincial capital in

912-492: The Middle Ages until 1926 as Castrogiovanni ( Sicilian : Castrugiuvanni [ˌkaʂʂ(ɽ)ʊddʒʊˈvannɪ] ), 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

960-531: 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. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire , Enna flourished throughout the Middle Ages as an important Byzantine stronghold. In 859, in

1008-490: 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. The most ancient Greek coin of the city also gives the name "ΗΕΝΝΑΙΟΝ". Scholars have concluded that this form, Henna, of the ancient name is the more correct for its time, though Enna is the more usual. Enna is now an important center for archaeological and educational studies. The Kore University of Enna

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1056-468: 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. 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

1104-594: The aerial volcano of Terrapelata in Caltanissetta'). He describes similar events which had occurred between 1783 and 1823, which he attributed to large-scale instability in the area. In recent decades these events have gradually become less violent, creating relatively inactive Maccalube, rather than violent eruptions and rifts in the terrain. As of September 2008: 68 craters out of 98 were said to be active; 17 were dormant; those remaining were thought to have solidified. The events of August 11 are similar to those of February 14 and 15, 2002. Those of August were characteristic of

1152-485: The area fell into great decay. Construction of the Cathedral began in 1539, and, notably, in 1566 a bridge was built over the River Salso . In this period the city began to expand outside the walls, with creation of the new areas of Santa Flavia , San Rocco degli Zingari and San Francesco . These included the medieval village of Arab origin. The areas were separated by two roads which crossed roughly perpendicularly to

1200-696: 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. 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

1248-786: The city, produces the Amaro Averna , a liqueur sold throughout Italy and beyond. The city's monuments include: Caltanissetta has three museums: the Diocesan Museum; the Mineralogical Museum; the Regional Archeological Museum. The latter holds displays mostly from prehistoric times and includes finds from archeological digs conducted in the 1950s. These include vases and tools from the Bronze Age , and early Sicilian ceramics. Sites in

1296-458: The city. The U.S. 1st infantry landed in Gela some hours later and advanced toward Catania to meet the U.S 45th Infantry, which had landed near Scoglitti. Caltanissetta's economy remained heavily reliant on agriculture until the 19th century, when sulfur mining industry began extensively. 275 sulfur mines were created in the province, employing 32,000 workers. Fratelli Averna S.p.A , a firm in

1344-532: 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. The Arabic name for the city, Qaṣr Yānih ( قصر يانه , "Fort of John"), was a combination of qaṣr (a corruption of the Latin castrum , "fortress"), and

1392-628: The exactions of Verres . From this time little is known about Enna: Strabo speaks of it as still inhabited in his time, though by a small population. The name of Enna appears in Pliny among the municipal towns of Sicily, as well as in Ptolemy and the Itineraries . When the Roman Empire was divided in 395 AD, Sicily became part of the Western Roman Empire . The noted senatorial family of

1440-521: 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

1488-474: 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. Archaeological excavations have revealed artifacts dating from

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1536-555: The morning of August 11, 2008, geological instability caused the opening of rifts in the ground surface, varying from ten centimetres to a metre in diameter. Damage to buildings occurred in two areas up to 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) distant, the Maccalube and in the western part of the City Centre. These damages were made worse by an eruption of clay-mud, water and gas which occurred some hours later that same day. For seven minutes,

1584-418: The municipalities of Canicattì , Delia , Enna , Marianopoli , Mazzarino , Mussomeli , Naro , Petralia Sottana , Pietraperzia , San Cataldo , Santa Caterina Villarmosa , Serradifalco and Sommatino . Its frazioni (hamlets) are the villages of Bifaria, Borgo Petilia, Borgo Canicassè Casale, Cozzo di Naro, Favarella, Prestianni, Villaggio Santa Barbara, Santa Rita and Xirbi. Caltanissetta dominates

1632-695: The neighbourhood of Caltanissetta include: Caltanissetta is served by the A19 motorway Palermo - Catania , with an exit linking to the Town Centre via a highway. The town has two railway stations: Caltanissetta Centrale on the Caltanissetta-Agrigento line and Caltanissetta Xirbi, on the Palermo-Catania line. The RAI radio station of Caltanissetta is an inactive system for broadcasting in long, medium and short waves. Its main element

1680-588: The neighbouring Sicilian cities, Dionysius took control of the city by betrayal in 397 BC. 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

1728-938: The population rose up against the Prefect, who was subsequently fired. On April 8, 1878, the city was connected to a railway, ending the historical difficulties in reaching it. Three years later the King Umberto I visited Caltanissetta along with his wife Margherita of Savoy and his son Victor Emmanuel III . During the Second World War , as part of the Allied landing in Sicily (in July 1943), Caltanissetta suffered several bombings during which 351 civilians were killed. On July 10, 1943, U.S. 3rd Infantry troops landed in Licata and 8 days later, on 18 July they entered and occupied

1776-697: The same year a Plebiscite declared Caltanissetta to be part of the new Kingdom of Italy . After the unification of Italy the area experienced an economic boom, largely due to extensive mining of sulfur . The mining was accompanied by various misfortunes: on the 27th of April 1867 47 people died due to a fire-damp explosion in the Trabonella mine; 65 miners died on November 12, 1881, in Gessolungo mine because of an explosion; and another 51 died in 1911 in Deliella and Trabonella mines. In 1875, however,

1824-561: 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 and Claudian. 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 ("very many lakes and groves, and very delightful flowers at every time of year"). Diodorus describes

1872-444: 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. Both he and Cicero allude to a cavern, as if describing a definite site. In the 21st century, a small lake was found in a basin-shaped hollow surrounded by great hills, and

1920-422: The title of ' County '. It was here that Frederick II of Sicily was proclaimed king. The city was the seat of another Parliament which aimed to settle the disputes which had arisen during the reign of Frederick III (1355–1377). In 1407, King Martin I ceded the territory of Caltanissetta to Matteo Moncada II, of the noble Spanish House of Montcada , which already owned the estate of Paternò , and subsequently

1968-547: The verb قلب qalaba 'to turn over, to turn upside down, to invert') are a particularly rare phenomenon of sedimentary volcanism occurring in the Terrapelata area of Caltanissetta, the so-called Hill of the Volcanoes, near the village of Santa Barbara. This is an area of barren hills, with a colour ranging from white to dark grey, where mud volcanoes of around one meter in height rest on volcanic sediment. The phenomenon

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2016-512: The whole valley of the River Salso, which extends to include the nearby Enna . Morphologically it matches the surrounding area, very harsh and composed of limestone and clay. The city lies between three hills (Sant'Anna, Monte San Giuliano, and Poggio Sant'Elia), which form a basin which comprise part of the historical centre and South. The Maccalube (singular: Maccaluba , from Arabic مقلوبة maqlūbah , '(a land) that turns over', from

2064-408: Was a famed site of worship. The origin of the toponym Henna remains obscure. 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

2112-476: 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. 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

2160-704: Was captured by the Normans in 1086. A charter was granted to the town in accordance with Count Roger Borsa 's vast plan for the urbanisation of Sicily, and the urban plan that is still in evidence today was laid out. It is during this time that cannoli is believed to have been invented here. After the Norman occupation the city was under the rule of the Hohenstaufen , the Anjou and the Aragonese kings , who gave it

2208-406: Was officially founded in 2002. The most important monuments of Enna are: 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

2256-548: Was taken first by the Carthaginians under Hamilcar , and subsequently recaptured by the Romans , but in both instances by treachery and not by force. 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

2304-526: Was turned into the 22nd Comarca of Sicily . In 1819 the city was declared to be the Capital of the province. However one year later it was sacked as a punishment for its loyalty to the House of Bourbon . In 1844 it was elevated to a Bishopric seat. After many Nisseni had taken part in his Thousands deeds, Giuseppe Garibaldi entered the city, together with Cesare Abba and Alexandre Dumas . On October 22 of

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