Aci Trezza

Aci is a mythological river that is said to have flowed from the wellsprings of Etna to the sea. According to the ancient Greeks, it was created as the result of the love between Aci the shepherd and Galatea. When Aci died, he turned into the river and Galatea into the sea foam, so that they remain joined together forever, but still apart. Aci Trezza is the kind of seaside village (population 5,000) that inspires such tales. It makes appearances in Homer's Odyssey, and Luchino Visconti filmed La Terra Trema here. Adjacent to Aci Castello, it is primarily known today for the dramatic lava stacks (faraglioni) that emerge from its coastal waters.