Catania
Catania is an Italian town of 315 589 inhabitants, capital of the homonymous metropolitan city in Sicily and the heart of an urban conglomeration of about 700 000 residents extended to the south eastern slopes of Mount Etna.
It is the center of the most densely populated metropolitan area of ??Sicily, and of a larger conurbation known as the linear system of eastern Sicily, which has about 1,700,000 inhabitants on an area of ??2,400 square kilometers. The city is also the economic and infrastructural fulcrum of the District of South-East Sicily, established on February 26, 2014 in the presence of the then president of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano. It is the most populated municipality in Italy that is not the regional capital. The main industrial, logistical and commercial center of Sicily, is the seat of the Vincenzo Bellini Airport, the largest in Southern Italy.
Founded in 729 BC from the Calcidesi of nearby Naxos, the city boasts an ancient history characterized by various dominations whose remains enrich its artistic, architectural and cultural heritage. Under the Aragonese dynasty it was the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily, and since 1434 by the will of King Alfonso V it is home to the oldest University of the island. In the course of its history it has been repeatedly affected by volcanic eruptions (the most impressive, in historical times, is that of 1669) and by earthquakes (the most catastrophic ones remembered were those of 1169 and 1693).
Catania has been a native or adoptive homeland of some of the most famous Italian artists and writers, including the composers Vincenzo Bellini and Giovanni Pacini and the writers Giovanni Verga, Luigi Capuana, Federico De Roberto, Nino Martoglio, Vitaliano Brancati . The baroque of its historic center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with that of seven towns in the Val di Noto (Caltagirone, Militello in the Val di Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Ragusa and Scicli), in 2002 .
It is the center of the most densely populated metropolitan area of ??Sicily, and of a larger conurbation known as the linear system of eastern Sicily, which has about 1,700,000 inhabitants on an area of ??2,400 square kilometers. The city is also the economic and infrastructural fulcrum of the District of South-East Sicily, established on February 26, 2014 in the presence of the then president of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano. It is the most populated municipality in Italy that is not the regional capital. The main industrial, logistical and commercial center of Sicily, is the seat of the Vincenzo Bellini Airport, the largest in Southern Italy.
Founded in 729 BC from the Calcidesi of nearby Naxos, the city boasts an ancient history characterized by various dominations whose remains enrich its artistic, architectural and cultural heritage. Under the Aragonese dynasty it was the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily, and since 1434 by the will of King Alfonso V it is home to the oldest University of the island. In the course of its history it has been repeatedly affected by volcanic eruptions (the most impressive, in historical times, is that of 1669) and by earthquakes (the most catastrophic ones remembered were those of 1169 and 1693).
Catania has been a native or adoptive homeland of some of the most famous Italian artists and writers, including the composers Vincenzo Bellini and Giovanni Pacini and the writers Giovanni Verga, Luigi Capuana, Federico De Roberto, Nino Martoglio, Vitaliano Brancati . The baroque of its historic center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with that of seven towns in the Val di Noto (Caltagirone, Militello in the Val di Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Ragusa and Scicli), in 2002 .
Malta
Information on Malta.
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (in Maltese Repubblika ta 'Malta, in English Republic of Malta), is an island country in southern Europe, a member of the European Union. It is an archipelago located in the Mediterranean, in the Malta channel, at 80 km from Sicily, 284 km from Tunisia and 333 km from Libya, including in the Italian physical region. With an extension of 315.6 km² it is one of the smallest and most densely populated states in the world. Its capital is Valletta and the most inhabited city is Birchircara. The main island is characterized by a large number of towns that, together with the capital, form a conurbation of 368 250 inhabitants.
The country has two official languages, Maltese and English. Italian, official language until 1934, is widespread, spoken correctly by more than 66% of Maltese.
During the course of history, the geographic position of Malta has given great importance to the archipelago, undergoing a succession of Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Knights of Malta, French and English.
Malta is internationally known as a tourist resort, for leisure and especially for culture, given that there are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country: the capital Valletta, the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum and the megalithic temples. The entry into the European Union took place on 1 May 2004 and became a member of the Eurozone from 1 January 2008. Malta is also a member of the Commonwealth.
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (in Maltese Repubblika ta 'Malta, in English Republic of Malta), is an island country in southern Europe, a member of the European Union. It is an archipelago located in the Mediterranean, in the Malta channel, at 80 km from Sicily, 284 km from Tunisia and 333 km from Libya, including in the Italian physical region. With an extension of 315.6 km² it is one of the smallest and most densely populated states in the world. Its capital is Valletta and the most inhabited city is Birchircara. The main island is characterized by a large number of towns that, together with the capital, form a conurbation of 368 250 inhabitants.
The country has two official languages, Maltese and English. Italian, official language until 1934, is widespread, spoken correctly by more than 66% of Maltese.
During the course of history, the geographic position of Malta has given great importance to the archipelago, undergoing a succession of Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Knights of Malta, French and English.
Malta is internationally known as a tourist resort, for leisure and especially for culture, given that there are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country: the capital Valletta, the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum and the megalithic temples. The entry into the European Union took place on 1 May 2004 and became a member of the Eurozone from 1 January 2008. Malta is also a member of the Commonwealth.
