INESSA
later AITNA, Catania, Sicily.
A Sikel
settlement between Catania and Centuripe (Thuc. 6:94.3);
it was later occupied by Aitneans who changed its name
into Aitna (Strab.
Geog. 6.2). The identification with the
district Civitli, between Paternò and S. Maria di Licodia,
has been suggested by some scholars, but has been disproved by recent excavations in that district. As a result,
it has been proposed that Inessa was in the Poira district,
on the right bank of the river Simeto, halfway between
Paternò and Centuripe; this location would be in agreement with the sources as well as with the
Antonine Itinerary and the
Peutinger Table, which place the site 19 km
from Catania.
In the area one can see remains of ancient walls from
houses and fortifications. Recently some rock-cut chainber tombs have been discovered; they are rather irregular
in shape and contain material of the 6th and 5th c. B.C.,
soon to be published.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
G. Rizza, “Scavi e ricerche nel territorio
di Paternò,”
BdA (1954); id., “Paternò, Città siculogreca in contrada Civita. Scoperte fortuite nella necropoh meridionale,”
NSc (1954); id., “Scoperta di una città
antica sulle rive del Simeto: Etna-Inessa?”
La Parola
del Passato 69 (1959).
C. BUSCEMI INDELICATO
