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Home > Travel Italy > Italy Destinations > Gela
Gela
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.
Gela is a city in the province of Caltanissetta in the south of Sicily, Italy. The city is at about 84 kilometers distance from the city of Caltanissetta, on the Mediterranean Sea. Gela has a larger population than the provincial capital, and ranks second in land area.
Gela is a significant industrial city and port town. One important industry that is located there is that of petroleum refinery. The city can be reached from other cities, like Syracuse and Caltanissetta, by train. In 2004, the population of the city was 77,260 and area 276 square kilometers.
After the war, a large refinery was built in the Gela's territory, as a part of Enrico Mattei's industrial expansion plan. The chaotic building program created huge urbanistic and social problems. In the 1980s the area saw the increasing power of a Mafioso association, Stidda, which was protagonist of a long series of violences and homicides. Recently a development and recovering program has slightly improved the situation of the city. The universities of Catania and Palermo have opened sets in Gela, and the historical center, as well as the archaeological area, the seaside and the Castelluccio, have been renovated.
Gela is an attractive city with natural beauty and historical places, while traveling in Italy.
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