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Caltagirone

Caltagirone
Comune
Città di Caltagirone
Belvedere Santa Maria del Monte.JPG
Coat of arms of Caltagirone
Coat of arms
Caltagirone is located in Italy
Caltagirone
Caltagirone
Location of Caltagirone in Italy
Coordinates: 37°14′15″N 14°30′45″E / 37.23750°N 14.51250°E / 37.23750; 14.51250Coordinates: 37°14′15″N 14°30′45″E / 37.23750°N 14.51250°E / 37.23750; 14.51250
Country Italy
Region Sicily
Province / Metropolitan city Catania (CT)
Frazioni Albanazzo, Colleggiata (Collegiata), Favarella, Granieri, Mulino Buongiovanni, Piano Carbone, Piano San Paolo, Rangasia, San Basilio - Casa Prete, San Mauro, Santo Pietro, Serra Fornazzo, Signore del Soccorso, Villa Gravina, Villa Grazia
Government
 • Mayor Giovanni Ioppolo
Area
 • Total 382 km2 (147 sq mi)
Elevation 608 m (1,995 ft)
Population (31 December 2014)
 • Total 38,828
 • Density 100/km2 (260/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Calatini or Caltagironesi
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 95041, 95040
Dialing code 0933
Patron saint St. James
Saint day July 25
Website Official website
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily)
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Santa Maria del Monte (Caltagirone).jpg
Location Italy
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iv, v
Reference 1024
UNESCO region Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 2002 (20th Session)

Caltagirone (Sicilian: Caltaggiruni) is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Catania, on the island (and region) of Sicily, southern Italy, about 70 kilometres (43 mi) southwest of Catania. It is bounded by the comuni of Acate, Gela, Grammichele, Licodia Eubea, Mazzarino, Mazzarrone, Mineo, Mirabella Imbaccari, Niscemi, Piazza Armerina, San Michele di Ganzaria.

The city is a production center of pottery, particularly maiolica and terra-cotta wares. Nowadays the production is more and more oriented to artistic production of ceramics and terra-cotta sculptures. Other activities are mainly related to agriculture (production of grapes, olives, peaches).

The city's name derives from the Arabic "qal'at-al-jarar" ("Castle of [pottery] jars") - a name that attests to the antiquity of the pottery works which are still thriving. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times, as shown by the presence of two necropolises dating from the second millennium BCE and by numerous other archaeological finds. It was later inhabited by the Sicels pre-Roman population.


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