During his voyage across the Mediterranean, right here in Sicily, Odysseus and his crew had one of their most emblematic encounters: the monstrous giant Polyphemus.
Even though Homer doesn’t explicitly name the island as “Sicily”, ancient tradition places the episode around Mount Etna and the eastern Sicilian coast.
Polyphemus’ Sicily isn’t just a geographic location; over time, it has become a truly mythological landscape. Even today, between Aci Castello and Aci Trezza, the Cyclops’ Coast keeps this name in memory of the story from the Odyssey.
Today, these mythical places still live across the island:
📍 Faraglioni of Aci Trezza (Catania) — the giant rocks cast into the sea
📍 Polyphemus’ Cave in Erice (Trapani)
📍 The modern statue of Polyphemus in Zafferana Etnea (Catania)
📍 The ancient mosaic at Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina (Enna)
Did you know any of these places? Which one would you like to visit first?
