Randazzo

For other uses, see Randazzo (disambiguation).
Randazzo
Comune
Comune di Randazzo

Coat of arms
Randazzo

Location of Randazzo in Italy

Coordinates: 37°53′N 14°57′E / 37.883°N 14.950°E / 37.883; 14.950Coordinates: 37°53′N 14°57′E / 37.883°N 14.950°E / 37.883; 14.950
Country Italy
Region Sicily
Province Catania (CT)
Frazioni Flascio, Monte la Guardia, Murazzorotto
Government
  Mayor Michele Mangione
Demonym(s) Randazzesi
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 95036
Dialing code 095
Patron saint St. Joseph
Saint day March 19
Website Official website

Randazzo (Sicilian: Rannazzu) is a town and comune of Sicily, Italy, in the province of Catania. It is situated at the northern foot of Mount Etna, 70 kilometres (43 mi) northwest of Catania by rail. It is the nearest town to the summit of Etna, and is one of the points from which the ascent may be made.

History

In the 13th century the town had its own army, which fought in favor of the king against the rebels. In 1210 King Frederick II of Hohenstaufen and his young wife Constance of Aragon sheltered at Randazzo to escape the terrible plague which raged in Palermo.

Randazzo became one of the most densely populated towns in the island, after Palermo and Messina. The town was also divided into three main districts: the Greeks lived in St. Nicola's quarter, the Latins in St. Mary's and the Lombards in St. Martin's.

During the Black Death of 157580 the population of Randazzo declined. The economy slumped, and Randazzo almost turned into a ghost town.

During World War II, Randazzo was bombed by the Allies, destroying or damaging 76 percent of its buildings.

Historic buildings

Main sights

Gallery

Church of Santa Maria 
Church of San Martino 
Church of Santa Nicola 
Former Town Gateway 
Castello Svevo 
Cell in Castello Svevo, where prisoners were walled in to starve to death 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Randazzo.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, May 31, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.