If you are enjoying a holiday in eastern Sicily in June, and especially on the 24th, forget everything for twenty-four hours and treat yourself to powerful and unique emotions by attending the event called “U Pisci a Mmari” (the Fish at Sea). It is a spectacular pantomime that recreates a bloody hunt for the “man-fish”, repeating gestures and rituals that fishermen actually perform when they go looking for swordfish. It all takes place in the town Aci Castello, specifically in the famous hamlet of Aci Trezza, celebrated by the Italian literature (Giovanni Verga’s “I Malavoglia”), and officially opens the celebration of the local patron Saint John the Baptist. Aci Trezza is just 20 km from Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), and in just over half an hour’s journey, aboard one of our comfortable chauffeured vehicles, you will arrive at your destination in time to find the best photo spot.
Aci Trezza: between history and legend
Born free, we enjoyed our own administrative and judicial magistrates until 1795. We do not know why, at the time when feudalism was beginning to decline, we had to be reduced by the former baron to the neighborhood of another population . With this petition, the inhabitants of Aci Trezza asserted their independence in 1820, cursing the moment of their incorporation into nearby Aci Castello! This pride can still be seen and felt today in the locals, who cannot forget that they were part of an elegant dream. It was, in fact, Prince Riggio who, in the 16th century, built a port here to provide his Etna lands with a commercial outlet to the sea. Aci Trezza has always been a port. And it was precisely around its fishing tradition that Giovanni Verga’s 1881 novel was born, dedicated to a family of local fishermen… the Toscanos, known as “Malavoglia”.
Even today, many Italian tourists come here to experience firsthand the places they learned about in schoolbooks. But Aci Trezza—whose name derives from clay (“laterizio”), given the massive presence of it in the soil—is also a place of legend! It is said that its three sea stacks are the rocks that the giant Polyphemus threw to stop Ulysses’ ships, as described in Homer’s Odyssey. It is also said (and scientific data confirms it) that Mount Etna was born here, half a million years ago, emerging from the depths of the sea. This is why the village is also called the “cradle of Etna.”
In both history and legend, fishing is a central element of life in “Trezza”. And in particular, swordfish fishing... in which the villagers specialize. That’s why, on the day of the town’s most important festival, swordfish takes center stage.
Who will catch the “Man-Fish”?
The traditional ritual that opens the feast of St. John the Baptist begins in the early afternoon, when the local sailors go to fetch the chief fisherman – the “raìs” – from his home to take him to the rock where he will direct the pantomime.
Once the raìs is ready, the boats set out in search of the swordfish, played by a young man. The boats are colorful and adorned with ribbons and flowers, and only one of them will truly lead the “hunt”. Armed with harpoons and hooks (fake, of course), the men will chase the young swimmer across the body of water in front of the pier. He will be captured and hauled aboard several times, but he will escape. He will also be harpooned and cut up (again, fake!) a couple of times, but he will escape again. Amidst chants, invocations, and ancient rituals, even the leader will finally dive into the sea to try to capture the lively “Man-Fish”… but he will disappear from everyone’s sight, surprising them, in the final act, with a “flap of his tail” that will capsize the boat!
After the performance (SEE VIDEO HERE), the town briefly abandons its festive atmosphere and gathers in prayer around its saint. The celebrations will then resume in the evening with a procession and fireworks.
From fishermen to shipwrights
After admiring the skill of Trezza’s fishermen and sailors, move just a few meters from the central pier and visit the Cantiere Rodolico.
This historic shed, which has housed – since the 18th century – generations of “master shipwrights” capable of creating every type of wooden vessel, is still used today by their descendants, the Rodolico family. The head of the family, Mastru Turi, along with his art, has entered into the register of historical cultural heritage of the Region Sicily as the last representative of an ancient craft. Together with his children and a few volunteers, Mr. Turi…despite his advanced age…still welcomes visitors and shows them how a boat is created from scratch.
A painter also works in the shipyard, decorating the boats—large, for sailing, and small, for tourist souvenirs—with the classic geometric and symbolic motifs also found on Sicilian carts.
Discover the “Cradle of Etna”
You’ll love Aci Trezza, the “cradle of Etna.” And you’ll also love nearby Aci Castello. Don’t just stop at the festival; explore the church of St John, the hidden Tower dei Faraglioni camouflaged among the houses, the Casa del Nespolo which houses a mini cinema museum, and the Lachea island which lies next to the Faraglioni and can be reached in just a few minutes by boat. Visit the Norman castle of Aci Castello and venture to the baroque squares of nearby Acireale.
And if you’re wondering why the name “Aci” appears so often, know that this entire stretch of coast was once a single Roman fiefdom, the “fiefdom of the waters” (Aquis), hence Aci. Romantics might also associate it with the sad love story of the Greek shepherd Aci and the demigoddess Galatea, separated by the cruelty of man and united forever by the gods and… again… by the water!
If you want to experience an extraordinary experience, book a boat tour off the coast of the village. Just beyond the Faraglioni rocks, finally, over the hill, the peak of Mount Etna will appear! Unfortunately, you cannot see it from the center of Aci Trezza. To reach the volcano from Trezza, you shall drive for 50-55 minutes, a journey certainly worth it. Those who would like to spend a few hours in Catania, instead, can get there by any means as the city is only 10 km away from Aci Trezza (about a quarter of an hour’s drive).
