Fontana dell'Elefante

This magestic fountain is located in Piazza del Duomo and it is the current icon of the city. The artist Giovanni Battista Vaccarini carved it in 1736 out of lava stone. It gets its name due to the elephant holding an Egyptian obelisk made from Syene granite with hieroglyphics. A ball and badge of St. Agatha, the patron saint of Catania, formed by the cross, the palm, the lily and the angelic table has been placed on top of the obelisk.

The fountain is situated in the center of the main square and in front of the main church. It represents an elephant which happens to be the main symbol of the city of Catania.

It is one of the main meeting points for the young people which love to hang out in the city center. It is awesome even to sit on the stairs all around the fountain just to have a chat with friends.