NICOSIA  , a

city and episcopal see (since 1816) of Sicily, in the province of Catania, 21 M. by road N. of the railway station of Leonforte (which is 49 M . W. of Catania) and 42 M . W.N.W. of Catania direct, 2840 ft. above sea-level . Pop . (19oi) 16,004 . The town retains a thoroughly medieval appearance, with a fine Norman cathedral and some other interesting churches, among them S . Maria Maggiore, with a reredos by Antonio Gagini.665 A Lombard dialect is still spoken here, and the town is less modernized in every respect than any other in Sicily . The Sicel town of Herbita is usually placed here, but without sufficient reason, and the origin of Nicosia is unknown . It was destroyed by the Saracens and repopulated by the Normans .