On March 8, 1669, Etna began erupting. The citizens of Catania thought they could challenge the volcano. Unfortunately, they were wrong. The population of the city watched from the shores of the Ionian Sea as towns north and west of them were destroyed. Thinking their city walls would be a match Mother Nature’s wrath, they…
Tag: castello ursino
After 1669, Landlocked
Remember a couple of weeks ago when I talked about Etna’s eruption in 1669 and how the citizens of Catania didn’t evacuate, which led to thousands of citizens perishing? Well, another casualty of Etna’s wrath during that eruption was Castello Ursino, pictured. Commissioned by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1239 and surrounded by a…