Travel Guide Gela

Gela had a sawtooth fate. This industrial city, one of the oldest in Sicily, was founded in 690 BC and named after the river Gela. It quickly prospered, but was destroyed in 405 BC by the Carthaginians. Then, in 1233, Emperor Frederick II rebuilt the city under the name of Terranova. Seven centuries later, the city took back its name from Gela. From the ancient city, there is nothing left, not even the tomb of Aeschylus, who would have died here. When you consider that in Greek times, Agrigento was only a colony of Gela. In 1956, in the absence of the Aeschylus tomb, oil deposits were discovered in the region, which gave a major boost to this city, which was in great need of it. It is now known as one of Italy's refineries (in bankruptcy). Think about it before you visit the beaches. Today, Gela has a population of more than 77,000.