Aci Trezza

Location of the province of Catania

Aci Trezza is a town in Sicily about 7 miles north of Catania, with a population of around 5,000 people. The town is technically a part of Aci Castello, but it has long outgrown the need for outside administration and is largely autonomous. Located on the coast of the Ionian Sea, the village has a long history of maritime activity. Aci Trezza is a popular spot for Italian vacationers in the summer. The patron Saint of the town is San Giovanni. The Festa of San Giovanni is celebrated each year during the last week of June 24th in his honor.

The Islands of the Cyclops

Of the coast of Aci Trezza are three tall, column-shaped islands. According to local legend, these great stones are the ones thrown at Odysseus in The Odyssey. The islands are referred to as the "isole dei ciclopi" (islands of the Cyclops, or Cyclopean Isles) by locals. This compliments the notion that the Cyclops once had a smithy below Mount Etna, which looms over the village to the northwest.

I Malavoglia

Giovanni Verga's most well-known novel, I Malavoglia or The House By The Medlar Tree, is set in Aci Trezza.

La Terra Trema

In 1948 Luchino Visconti filmed his groundbreaking neo-realist film La Terra trema, based on Verga's novel I Malavoglia, in Aci Trezza. The entire cast were local inhabitants rather than professional actors. A small museum dedicated to the film can be found in the town, and is run by one of the cast members.