A thousand years ago, the Normans built it. The earthquake destroyed it. Catania rebuilt it.

I am the Cathedral of Catania, the cathedral dedicated to Saint Agatha, a young girl and Christian martyr, and for almost a thousand years, I have guarded the heart of the city. I was born in the 11th century by the will of the Norman kings. I was majestic and powerful, a fortress built to protect the city. The towering belfry allowed me to watch over the sea and alert the citizens of incoming dangers. I have endured, like Catania, very harsh trials.

The most terrifying day was when I felt the earth tremble and saw the destruction brought by the earthquake. In that moment, the beautiful tower with the bells collapsed onto the naves, and I nearly fell completely, and along with me, it seemed that the soul of the city vanished amidst the roars and dust. But Catania did not want to surrender.

From the rubble, the men and women, with love, rebuilt me more splendid than before. Exalted by a new baroque facade, which enshrines multiple and precious marbles, I returned to dominate the square, a symbol of rebirth and the strength of the citizens. My dissonant apses still tell today that victory over destruction. Every year, during the feast of Saint Agatha, the city embraces me.

Thousands of faithful enter with lit candles and eyes turned to the sky, carrying, in their hearts, a silent prayer. In those days, I feel my stones melting and coming to life, because I suffer and weep for the pains I sense, while the hope I see being born, among candles and shouts, comforts me. When the weather is mild, I watch the sea, before me, light up with a thousand rays reflecting on the waters, and I remain enchanted, every time, enjoying such beauty. I am the Cathedral of Catania, a symbol of belonging and tenacity, and I am very proud of it.

The Appeal of the Sicilians to the English Nation is a political document born after the Congress of Vienna, when the European political order was reestablished after the fall of Napoleon. In Sicily, during the English presence, in 1812 a constitution inspired by the British parliamentary model was granted. It abolished feudalism and introduced a representative system with a parliament. After the monarchical restoration, King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies unified Naples and Sicily in 1816 into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, effectively eliminating Sicilian political autonomy and emptying the constitution of 1812.

Many aristocrats and intellectuals on the island considered this decision a violation of the commitments made during English protection. For this reason, in 1817, the Appeal was published, probably written by the Sicilian economist and politician Niccolò Palmeri, with the aim of raising awareness among the British public and requesting the defense of Sicilian constitutional freedom. In the text, the Sicilians remind the English of the role they played in the birth of the constitution and urge them not to abandon the island. A significant passage states:

“Remember that Sicily was free when England protected it, and that under British faith it received a constitution. Do not allow this freedom, guaranteed by your power and your honor, to be destroyed.” The appeal thus sought to present the Sicilian cause as a defense of the constitutional principles that England itself represented. This document is considered important because it testifies to the discontent of the Sicilian elite against Neapolitan centralism and anticipates the subsequent constitutional revolts on the island during the nineteenth century.

The Appeal of the Sicilians to the English Nation was published in 1817 after the end of the Napoleonic era and after the Congress of Vienna. During the Napoleonic Wars, Sicily had been protected by England and in 1812 it had obtained a constitution modeled on the British one. However, after the monarchical restoration, King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies unified Naples and Sicily into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, effectively eliminating the political autonomy of the island and emptying the Sicilian constitution. To protest against this situation, some members of the Sicilian elite published the Appeal, probably written by Niccolò Palmeri, intending to address the English public directly and request respect for the commitments made during British protection. One of the most significant passages of the text states:

“We turn to the English nation, the freest and most generous of the nations of Europe. Under your protection, Sicily received a constitution that guaranteed its inhabitants civil and political freedom. Under your public faith, it believed it could trust in the stability of its institutions. But today that constitution has been violated, and the island that was once free has been reduced to the condition of a dependent province. Remember, O English, that your word was a guarantee for us, and that the honor of your nation cannot remain indifferent in the face of the loss of the freedoms that it itself helped to establish.” This quote well illustrates the tone of the document: it is not only a political protest but also a moral appeal to Great Britain to defend the principles of constitutional freedom that it had helped to introduce in Sicily.

Pietro Galletti (1696–1758) was a Sicilian ecclesiastic and scholar who held the position of bishop of Catania in the 18th century. Coming from a noble family, he played an important role in the religious and cultural life of the city. During his episcopate, he supported various initiatives for the renewal of the diocese and promoted the cultural and artistic development of the city. His period coincides with the reconstruction phase of Catania following the great earthquake of 1693, which had destroyed much of eastern Sicily. Giovan Battista Vaccarini (1702–1768) was one of the most important architects of Sicilian Baroque. Born in Palermo, he trained in Rome, where he came into contact with Roman Baroque architecture and particularly with the works of Francesco Borromini. He then moved to

Catania, where he played a decisive role in the reconstruction of the city after the earthquake. Among his most notable works are interventions in the Cattedrale di Sant’Agata and the design of the Fontana dell’Elefante, a symbol of the city. Bishop Pietro Galletti and architect Vaccarini collaborated in the process of urban and religious renewal of 18th-century Catania. Galletti supported and promoted various architectural and artistic works, while Vaccarini contributed with his works to define the monumental and Baroque character of the city.

State Artistic High School
M.M. Lazzaro