Licata

For other uses, seeLicata (disambiguation).

Licata
Comune
Comune di Licata
View of Licata.
Coat of arms
Location of Licata
Licata Location of Licata in Italy Licata Licata (Sicily)
Coordinates:37°06′30″N13°56′49″E
Country	Italy
Region	Sicily
Province	Agrigento(AG)
Frazioni	Mollarella, Torre di Gaffe
Government
• Mayor	Giuseppe Galanti
Area
• Total	178 km2(69 sq mi)
Elevation	8 m (26 ft)
Population (31 January 2019)
• Total	36,461
• Density	200/km2(530/sq mi)
Demonym	Licatesi
Time zone	UTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code	92027
Dialing code	0922
Saint day	May 5
Website	Official website

Map of the ancient acropolis

Domus 1

Domus 1

Licata(Italian pronunciation:[liˈkaːta],Sicilian:[lɪˈkaːta];Ancient Greek:Φιντίας,whenceLatin:PhintiasorPlintis), formerly alsoAlicata(Sicilian pronunciation:[alɪˈkaːta]), is a city andcomunelocated on the south coast ofSicily,at the mouth of theSalso River(the ancientHimera), about midway betweenAgrigentoandGela.It is a majorseaportdeveloped at the turn of the twentieth century, shippingsulphur,the refining of which has made Licata the largest European exporting centre, andasphalt,and at times shippingcheese.

West of the port city there is a series of pocket beaches separated by wave-cut headlands as high as 40 metres (130 ft). (Amore 2002).

History

Ancient

The settlement was frequented by the Phoenicians who traded there between the 12th and 8th centuries BC. At the end of the 7th century BC the Geloi (inhabitants of ancient Gela, inMagna Graecia) built a fortified station to guard the mouth of theSalso(Himera) river. In the first half of 6th century BCPhalaris,tyrant ofAgrigento,built a fortified outpost.

The first settlement was probablyfounded by colonists from Gela.

At theBattle of the Himera River (311 BC)near the town,Agothocleswas beaten by the Carthaginians and the town fell into their hands.

The city itself was re-founded on the right bank of the Salso in 282 BC, byPhintias,tyrant ofAgrigentum,who named it for himself (Phintias), after razing the city ofGelaand resettling its population here.As late as the 1st century BC, inscriptions and coins show that the inhabitants retained the nameGeloi.

Phintias was laid out on a great scale, with walls, temples and anagora.The setting took advantage of a small natural harbour, about 80 metres (260 ft) across, in a bay on the coast that is now infilled. The site was protected by the headland now named Monte San Michele. Phintias, however, never rose to the importance of Gela.

At nearby Cape Ecnomus, in 256 BC theRomanswon theBattle of Cape Ecnomusin theFirst Punic Warand freed the city from the Carthaginians. In 249 BC it afforded shelter to aRomanfleet which was, however, attacked by theCarthaginiansand many of the ships sunk.Ciceroalso alludes to it as a seaport, carrying on a considerable export trade in corn.

Under the Romans Phintias became a large commercial emporium. But inStrabo's time it seems to have fallen into the same state of decay with the other cities on the south coast of Sicily, as he does not mention it among the few exceptions.Pliny,notices the Phintienses (or Phthinthienses as the name is written in some manuscripts) among the stipendiary towns of Sicily; and its name is found also inPtolemy;but it is strange that both these writers reckon it among the inland towns of Sicily, though its maritime position is clearly attested both by Diodorus and Cicero. TheAntonine Itineraryalso gives a place called Plintis, doubtless a corruption of Phintias, which it places on the road from Agrigentum along the coast towardsSyracuse,at the distance of 23 miles (37 km) from the former city.This distance agrees tolerably well with that from Agrigento to Licata, though somewhat less.

Middle and Modern Ages

The historical centre of the town, near the coastal castle of Lympiados, dates from the period ofByzantinedomination. In 827 the Arabs conquered Licata, and their rule lasted for more than two centuries, ending when the town was captured by theNormanson July 25, 1086. During the Norman-Hohenstaufen age the town flourished and was awarded the title ofCittè Demaniale( "Crown's City" ).

In 1270 Licata (then having some 7,000 inhabitants) rebelled againstAngevinerule as part of the uprising known as theSicilian Vespers.Thereafter the town came under the control of theHouse of Trastámara,who in 1447 granted it the title offidelissima( "Most Faithful" ). In 1553, after the city was sacked byDragut's corsairs, it was decided to rebuild the walls, together with alarge towerwhich was erected on the summit of Sant'Angelo hill.

Licata began to flourish once more in the 16th century, thanks in part to the presence of a community ofMalteseimmigrants, and this period of prosperity continued well into the 17th century, when the first settlements appeared outside the wall, housing the growing Maltese community, and numerous buildings were constructed or rebuilt in the Baroque style. The port also enjoyed a period of prosperity, largely resulting from the export of grain.

Contemporary era

In 1820 Licata rose against theBourbonrulers of theKingdom of the Two Sicilies,led by patriot Matteo Vecchio Verderame. During theExpedition of the ThousandunderGiuseppe Garibaldi,the town contributed with a whole corps, and housed for a night Garibaldi's sonMenottiand his generalNino Bixio.

The 1870s saw the construction of two bridges connecting to thesulphurmines inland, and five refineries (including the then largest in Europe) were built. This brought a considerable economic expansion, leading to the creation of several elegant residences in Licata.

Remains of the Italian Navyarmed train( "treno armato" )T.A. 76/2/T(it), destroyed byUSSBristolwhile opposing the landing at Licata.

Licataserved as an Allied landing point during the 1943 Operation HUSKYAllied invasion of SicilyofWorld War II.War damage and the decline in competitiveness in the sulphur industry caused economic decline, forcing many people to emigrate to northern Italy or abroad. As a town occupied by theAllies,it served as a model forJohn Hersey's novelA Bell for Adano.

Italian memorial at Licata for the Allied invasion of Sicily during Operation Husky, July 10, 1943.

Licata has however maintained its artistic importance, and tourism has begun to flourish again in recent times. Nevertheless, the economy is heavily reliant on the fishing industry.

The Museo Civico displays many archaeological finds, notably material from burial grounds dating from prehistoric times to the 3rd century BC.

Geography

The municipality borders withButera(CL),Camastra,Campobello di Licata,Naro,Palma di Montechiaroand Ravanusa.It counts the hamlets (frazioni) of Mollarella and Torre di Gaffe.

Main sights

• Archaeological remains of the ancient Greek city, including 7domusnear the centre of the city at Monte Sant'Angelo. The 17th centuryCastel Sant'Angelois located nearby.
• The necropolis of Monte Petrulla
• TheGrangela,and hydraulic work of Pre-Hellenistic times
• Frourionof Falaride, a Greek fortress
• The lighthouse, which is the third tallest in Italy
• Church ofSanta Maria La Nova,built in the 15th century but renovated in later years. It houses the Black Christ's Chapel.
• theCarmine(13th century), including a church and a convent, rebuilt in the 18th century under design byGiovanni Biagio Amico.
• Palazzo di Città,a noteworthy example of SicilianLiberty style,designed byErnesto Basile.

Sister cities

• Cestas,France
• Reinheim,Germany

See also

• A.S.D. Licata 1931
• Licata Airfield

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Smith, William,ed. (1854–1857).Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography.London: John Murray.{{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title=(help)
• C. Amoreet al.,"Historical evolution of the Salso River mouth, with respoect to the Licata harbour system" in Eurocoast/EUCC,Littoral 2002(on-line)
• Richard Stillwell, ed.Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites,1976:"Phintias (Licata) Sicily"

External links

• (in Italian)Licata official website
• (in Italian)Licata Today website
• "Licata".Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). 1911.