Salvo Patanè

I grew up a few minutes from Piazza del Duomo and have watched tourists photograph the lava-stone elephant in the fountain more times than I can count. On camera I like circling the fountain slowly, since the carving only makes sense once you see the obelisk, the elephant and the base together rather than from one angle. I studied local history at the university here and enjoy explaining why the square became the symbolic centre of Catania after the 1693 earthquake rebuilt the whole city in stone. I keep my sessions relaxed, since the square itself sets an easy pace.