Editing Catania (section)

===Middle Ages===
[[File:OldCatania.png|thumb|right|Picture of Catania in 1575]]
Catania was sacked by the [[Vandals]] of [[Gaiseric]] in 440–441. After a period under the [[Ostrogoths]], it was reconquered in 535 by the [[Eastern Roman Empire]], under which (aside from a short period in 550–555) it remained until the 9th century. It was the seat of the Byzantine governor of the island.

Catania was under an [[Emirate of Sicily|Islamic emirate]] for two centuries, after which it fell to the [[Italo-Normans|Normans]] of [[Roger I of Sicily]]. Subsequently, the city was ruled by a bishop-count (1072). In 1194–1197 the city was sacked by German soldiers during after the conquest of the island by emperor [[Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry VI]]. In 1232 it rebelled to the former's son, [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]], who later built a massive castle, ''[[Castello Ursino]]'' and also made Catania a royal city, ending the dominance of the bishops.

Catania was one of the main centers of the [[Sicilian Vespers]] revolt (1282) against the [[Capetian House of Anjou|House of Anjou]] and was the seat of the coronation of the new Aragonese king of Sicily, [[Peter I of Sicily|Peter I]]. The city remained a key Sicilian port during the [[War of the Sicilian Vespers]]. After a civil revolt in 1299, the city was captured by an Angevin army, which [[Angevin invasion of Sicily|occupied the city]] until the Angevins evacuated their holdings on Sicily in 1302.<ref>Stanton, Charles D. “LAURIA’S LAST GREAT CAMPAIGN (SUMMER 1299–SPRING 1300).” In ''Roger of Lauria (c.1250-1305): “Admiral of Admirals,”'' NED-New edition., 271–88. Boydell & Brewer, 2019. {{doi|10.2307/j.ctvd58tqg.23}}.</ref>

In the 14th century it gained importance as it was chosen by the Aragonese as a Parliament and Royal seat. Here, in 1347, it was signed the treaty of peace that ended the long [[War of the Vesper]] between Aragonese and Angevines. Catania lost its capital role when, in the early 15th century, Sicily was turned into a member of the [[Crown of Aragon]], and kept its autonomy and original privileges specially during the period from 1282 to 1410.

In 1434 King [[Alfonso V of Aragon|Alfonso V]] founded here [[University of Catania|the ''Siciliae Studium Generale'']], the oldest university in the island.