FIUMEFREDDO DI SICILIA
All the
photos of Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
Send a postcard from Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
Restaurants in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
Web sites on Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
Travels in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
Events in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
Email of Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
The cinema
schedule of the province of Catania
Where to stay in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
Firms of Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
Books on Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
News on Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
Fiumefreddo di Sicilia is a city in the
province of Catania, set 62 m a.s.l. totalling some 9,000 inhabitants. It is much
renowned as a citrus fruit producer.
THE CITY
It is endowed with sites and buildings of
historical and cultural importance. Amongst the latter are the Mother Church
dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the 1700’s fine Palazzetto Diana, graced with
lava stone decorations, the Castle of San Marco, in the territory of the
neighboring Calatabiano, the 1700’s Castello degli Schiavi (castle of the
slaves) built by the Palagonias and designed by celebrated Vaccarini and Ittar.
Fiumefreddo River Nature Reserve – The
Fiumefreddo river rises in the North-Eastern slopes of the Etna volcano, flows
underground and emerges on the plain where the ground is more impermeable. The
river-bed is fed by the two springs of Testa dell’Acqua and Quadare, 10-12m
deep. The river’s water, never over 10-15 degrees, even in summer, has a slow
flow that enhances the growth of aquatic plants that are typical of the Central
Europe like the buttercup and the bulrush.
The river is inhabited by numerous other plants
like the white willow, the water iris and the trembling aspen. Its springs are
major stopping points for the heron, the woodcock and many species of ducks.
HISTORY
Fiumefreddo di Catania originates from an old
feudal land called “Flumen Frigidum” first belonged to the Parisio and
subsequently to the Lazzaro families. It remarkably expanded during the first
half of the 17th century thanks to the Gravina Cruyullas, Princes of
Palagonia and Lords of the neighboring Calatabiano.