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Grammichele | |
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| Comune di Grammichele | |
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 Coat of arms | |
Location of Grammichele  | |
  Grammichele Location of Grammichele in Italy Show map of Italy Grammichele Grammichele (Sicily) Show map of Sicily | |
| Coordinates:37°12′53″N14°38′11″E / 37.21472°N 14.63639°E /37.21472; 14.63639 | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Sicily |
| Metropolitan city | Catania (CT) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Giuseppe Maria Purpora |
| Area | |
• Total | 30 km2 (10 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 520 m (1,710 ft) |
| Population (31 August 2017)[2] | |
• Total | 13,274 |
| • Density | 440/km2 (1,100/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Grammichelesi |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 95042 |
| Dialing code | 0933 |
| Patron saint | St. Michael Archangel |
| Saint day | May 8 |
| Website | Official website |
Grammichele (Sicilian:Grammicheli, Greek:Echetle (meaning "plowshare"); Latin:Echetla,Ochula; Medieval:Occhiolà) is a town andcomune in theMetropolitan City of Catania inSicily, southernItaly. It is located at the feet of theHyblaean Mountains, some 13 kilometres (8 mi) fromCaltagirone.
The town was built in 1693, after the old town of Occhiolà, located to the north of the modern Grammichele, was destroyed byan earthquake. Occhiolà, on account of the similarity of name, is generally identified withEchetla, a frontier city betweenSyracusan andCarthaginian territory in the time ofHiero II, which appears to have been originally aSicel city in whichGreek civilization prevailed from the 5th century onwards.[3]
The devastation of the old town was so severe that the feudal landlord of the town, Carlo Maria Carafa Branciforte, Prince of Butari, commissioned construction of a new town, with plans aided by Michele da Ferla. Supposedly the Prince himself sketched out the initial hexagonal layout. In the center of the hexagon is the Piazza Carlo Maria Carafa, faced by the Chiesa Madre (Mother Church),San Michele Arcangelo, and the Palazzo Communale (City Hall). The town ofAvola, destroyed by the same earthquake, was also relocated and rebuilt along a hexagonal layout.
On July 15, 1943, the1st Canadian Infantry Division fought its first battle in theAllied invasion of Sicily against elements of the GermanPanzer Division "Hermann Göring". TheHastings and Prince Edward Regiment,Saskatoon Light Infantry (Machine Gun) and theThree Rivers Regiment (tank) all took part in the fighting, which concluded at midday with the town in Canadian hands.
To the east of Grammichele a cave shrine ofDemeter, with fine votive terracottas, was discovered.[3] Other sights include the Mother Church;San Michele Arcangelo, dedicated to St. Michael; and the Church of Calvary.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Grammichele".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 332.
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