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Home > Travel Italy > Italy Destinations > Caltagirone
Caltagirone
Italy, officially the Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana, is a Southern European country comprising of the Po River valley, the Italian Peninsula and the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. It is shaped like a boot and for this reason Italians commonly call it lo Stivale, the boot or, due to its prevalent peninsular geographical nature, la Penisola, the Peninsula. Inhabitants of Italy are referred to as Italians. Their official language is Standard Italian, descendant of Tuscan dialect and a direct descendant of Latin. The word Italy is derived from the Homeric Aeolic word which means bull.
Caltagirone is a town and comune in the province of Catania, on the island and region of Sicily, about 70 kilometer Southwest of Catania. It is bounded by the comuni of Acate, Gela, Grammichele, Licodia Eubea, Mazzarino, Mazzarrone, Mineo, Mirabella Imbaccari, Niscemi, Piazza Armerina, and San Michele di Ganzaria. The city has been long famous for the production of pottery and terra-cotta wares. Nowadays the production is more and more oriented to artistic production of ceramics and terra-cotta sculptures. Other activities are mainly related to agriculture and production of grapes, olives, peaches.
The city's name derives from the Arabic qal at-al-ganom is castle of the Genies. It was inhabited since pre-historical times, as attested by the presence of two necropolis dating from the 2nd millennium and by numerous other archaeological findings. Later, it was inhabited by the Sicels pre-Roman population. A collection of ancient and modern pottery and terra-cotta, dating back to the Magna Grecia period, is available in the local Museum of Pottery, created in 1965.
The main landmark of the city is the 142 step monumental Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, built from 1608 in the old part of the town. A city known for its historic myths and traditions, scenic beauty, cooperative people and luxurious hotels and cottages, Caltagirone is one of the favorite holiday destinations for most of the vacation lovers.
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