Aci and Galatea Legend! According to mythology, Acireale takes its name from the shepherd Aci, son of the god Pan, protector of mountains and forests.
The legend tells of the great love that united Aci and Galatea, a beautiful sea nymph with skin the color of milk, very dear to the gods. But the love between the two young people aroused the jealousy of the monstrous giant Polyphemus, who had only one eye in the middle of his forehead.
After Galatea’s rejection, Polyphemus hurled a gigantic rock at Aci’s body, crushing him.
“As soon as the news reached Galatea, she rushed to where Aci’s body lay. At the sight of her beloved, she threw herself upon him, shedding all the tears she had in her body. Galatea’s endless weeping aroused the compassion of the gods, who wished to alleviate her torment by transforming Aci into a beautiful river flowing from Mount Etna and flowing into the stretch of beach where the two lovers used to meet.”
From the shepherd’s blood, therefore, a river named Akis by the Greeks was born, today largely underground but resurfacing as a spring near Santa Maria la Scala (a seaside village, a fraction of Acireale), flowing into a spring called “u sangu di Jaci” (the blood of Aci).
You can find the statue of Aci and Galatea at Villa Belvedere
