On Verga’s trail
- 12:00 h
- 16,6 KM
- Easy
Catania is home to one of the greatest exponents of the Italian literary movement, Verismo. The places where Giovanni Verga lived in Catania were the settings for many of his tales.
Are you ready to discover these beautiful places?
The first stop is the writer’s birthplace that is now a museum dedicated to Giovanni Verga.
Not far from the museum is St. Benedict’s church the setting for the novel “Storia di una capinera” (Story of a blackcap) and the movie directed by Zeffirelli.
In piazza Verga in the centre of Catania, a fountain represents the sinking of the boat described in the novel “I Malavoglia”.
The tour continues in Acicastello, Aci Trezza and Capomulini the setting of “I Malavoglia”. Do not miss “Casa del Nespolo Museum”, an example of a typical fishermen’s house, as the one described in the novel.
If you are on foot take the city bus number 534 from Corso Italia to get to Acicastello and Aci Trezza.
Giovanni Verga Museum
It’s located on the second floor of the nineteenth-century palace in Via Sant’Anna, the apartment, where now is based the regional museum, before was the famous writer Giovanni Verga’s home. Inside, are preserved the intact furnishings and objects that belonged to the writer.
St. Benedict’s Church
It’s located at the beginning of via Crociferi, the Saint Benedict’s Church is an example of late baroque architecture in Catania. It was rebuilt immediately after the earthquake in 1693 with the S. Benedict’s arch, that was erected in 1704.
Piazza Verga
Piazza Giovanni Verga is an important civic tradition place of Catania; it is crossed by the Corso Italia and here there is the courthouse of the city. It is dedicated to the memory of the writer Giovanni Verga and at the center of it there is the Fountain of the Malavoglia.
Aci Castello Castle
The seaside village of Aci Castello is just a few kilometers from Catania, it’s famous for its basalt rock where on top stands the turreted and crenellated castle which gives its name to the city. Inside, there is the civic museum.
Casa del Nespolo Museum
In the heart of the seaside village of Aci Trezza you can find the Casa del Nespolo Museum, a magical place from where you can “enter” into the pages of the famous Verga’s novel “I Malavoglia”. The house that hosts the museum is dated back to the 19th century.
Capomulini
The village of Capomulini is located at about five kilometers from Acireale. This seafaring village, which borders the northern side of Catania Gulf, until the Middle Ages was the “old” Acireale. Not to be missed the natural harbor.
Along the seafront you should taste the delicious local cuisine based on fresh fish.