It is said that the notorious elephant was called Liotru in honour of a magician: Eliodoro, who lived around 725 A.D., son of a noble Sicilian family, aspiring bishop of Catania who never managed to establish himself. One day, through a Jewish sorcerer, who converted him to Judaism, he managed to put him in contact with Satan.
It is said that one night Eliodoro went to the tomb of the heroes and began to evoke the devil, thanks to a mysterious writing that had been delivered to him by the Jewish sorcerer himself. Satan finally appeared and said to him: "If you deny your faith in Christ, I will place you next to one of my court, Gaspar, who will be your servant, and I will give you magic powers". Thus Heliodorus accepted and obtained supernatural powers.
From that day on it was the torment of the people of Catania, making the devil appear in public events, exchanging goods with diamonds and gold which were then transformed into stones. He escaped several death sentences thanks to his magical powers but in 778 A.D. Heliodorus was burned alive in the Achelles forum.
His elephant remained alive and is now the symbol of the city of Catania.
