Aci Trezza

Culture, Tipical places
- 95021 Aci Trezza
095 7371148

Visiting Sicily in summer? Taste a typical "granita" along the sea front of Aci Trezza.

You will find the small fishing village of Aci Trezza, a fraction of the commune of Aci Castello, extremely interesting and well worth a visit. A fishing town since ancient times, it is dominated by the ‘Faraglioni dei Ciclopi’, eight picturesque sharp basalt rocks which, according to legend were thrown by Polyphemus to try to prevent Ulysses from escaping. A walk around the town itself reveals some interesting monuments. The vault of the church of St. Giovanni Battista in Piazza Giovanni Verga is decorated with frescoes by the painter Vincenzo Sciuto from Aci S. Antonio, which represent the martyrdom of St. Giovanni Battista.

Going past the flight of steps which leads down to the harbour, you come to the entrance to the Casa del Nespolo (the house described in “I Malavoglia” by G. Verga) which contains the museum of the town. This is a typical mid-XIX century Sicilian structure. The courtyard contains a small kitchen garden and the main entrance which features a rounded arch in lava stone. There are only two rooms inside. The first room called “La terra trema” (The earth shakes) contains a collection of photographs, posters and other articles regarding Luchino Visconti’s film masterpiece of the same name which was shot in Acitrezza, in 1947, with a cast of actors selected exclusively from the local inhabitants. The second room “La Stanza dei Malavoglia” (“The Malavoglia room“), holds a collection of old tools and everyday objects that illustrate the life of the local fishing community in the XIX century. Of great interest are the photos taken by Giovanni Verga in person and a collection of letters sent to his brother Pietro.

The local fish, seafood and shellfish are particularly flavoursome due to the lava stone seabed.

 

Courtesy of the Provincia Regionale di Catania