Liotru is the name of the elephant at the center of the fountain designed by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini. The name of the animal, a statue formed by a single block of volcanic rock, derives from Eliodoro, a nobleman of Catania that turned away from religion after having tried to become a bishop, dedicating himself to necromancy.
Legend tells that it was Eliodoro himself who sculpted the statue, and not only: he used the animal as a mode of transportation, and also to mistreat his fellow citizens. When the people revolted against him, he hid inside the elephant and never came out again.
With or without Eliodoro in its bowel, Liotru is now the official symbol of the city.
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