the ancient Catana, a celebrated city and seaport of Sicily, capital of an intendency of the same name, on the east coast of the island, at the foot of the southern projections of Mount Aetna. N. Lat. 37° 28'. 20", E. Long. 15° 5. 15. Present population about 55,000. The ancient Catana was founded B.C. 730, by a colony from the neighbouring city of Naxos, which was itself founded by the Chalcidians of Euboea. It maintained its independence till B.C. 476, when it was taken by Hiero I., who removed its inhabitants to Leontini, and repeopled the city with a new colony of 5000 Syracusans and an equal number of Peloponnesians, at the same time changing its name to Aetna. Soon after the death of Hiero the former inhabitants obtained possession of the town, when it again took the name of Catana. In B.C. 403 it was taken by Dionysius of Syracuse, who, after plundering the city and selling the inhabitants for slaves, established there a body of Campanian mercenaries. In the first Punic war it was one of the first among the cities of Sicily that submitted to the Romans, and appears to have afterwards continued on friendly terms with them. In Cicero's time it was a flourishing and wealthy city; but it suffered so severely from the ravages of Sextus Pompeius, that afterwards Augustus sent a colony of veterans thither. It has frequently suffered from earthquakes and eruptions of Mount Aetna. It was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake in 1693, but was rebuilt in a more magnificent style, and is now considered the handsomest town in Sicily. The remains of the ancient city are numerous, and include a large theatre, an amphitheatre, a small theatre, ruins of baths, some massive sepulchral monuments, and fragments of an aqueduct; all of Roman construction, the Greek city having probably been destroyed by some of the earthquakes to which it has in all ages been subject. The streets are wide, regular, and paved with lava; of which also the public buildings are mostly built, with facings of limestone and ornamented with marble. The appearance of the city from the sea is magnificent, and the harbour is sheltered by a natural mole of lava. Among the principal public buildings are the magnificent cathedral rebuilt since the earthquake of 1693, the senate house, monte di pietà, theatre, and the vast Benedictine abbey. It has numerous churches, convents, hospitals and other charitable institutions, and a museum. The university, founded in 1445, is well attended, and has a good library and museums. Silk is largely manufactured, and with lava and amber articles constitutes its chief products. The harbour is small, being accessible only to small craft; by means of which, however, a considerable trade is carried on—principally in corn, macaroni, potatoes, olives, figs, silk, and wine.