Encyclopedia of Southern Italy

Achetus: A river in ancient Sicily.
Achilles
: One of the greatest heroes in Greek mythology, he figures as the principal figure in Homer’s Iliad. Achilles was honored with a hero-cult at ancient Croton. His name is believed to derive from a Mycenaean Greek word meaning “grief to the army.”
Achimaaz du Oria: See Ahima as ben Palti’ el.
Achradina: One of the five quarters of ancient Syracuse.
Aci-
: A prefix found in many place names in northeastern Sicily. Many scholars believe it to derive from Acis, a mythological figure connected with the area since ancient times. According to the Metamorphosis of Ovid, Acis was a handsome Sicilian youth, the mortal son of the nature-god Faunus and the sea-nymph Symaethis. Beloved by the beautiful nymph Galatea, he aroused the jealousy of her spurned suitor, the Cyclops Polyphemus. In a fit of rage the Cyclops attacked Acis, crushing the youth beneath a huge rock from Mt. Etna. As the stream of Acis’s blood poured out from beneath the rock, it was divinely changed into the river Aci, although some choose to connect it with the river today called the Fiumefreddo. An associated legend claims that Polyphemus tore the body of Acis into nine parts, scattering them throughout the countryside. Collectively these sites came to be known as the Nove aci (the Nine Acis): Aci Bonaaccorsi, Aci Castello, Aci Catena, Aci Platani, Acireale, Aci S. Filippo, Aci S. Antonio, Aci S. Lucia and Aci Trezza. The nearby coastal area, the Riviera dei Ciclopi, likewise came to be associated with the legends of Polyphemus and the other Cyclopses. The actual root for aci– appears to derive from the Greek word Akus (“penetrating”) and was probably first attached to the ancient river Acis because of the cold temperature of its water.
Aci River (anc. Acis)
: A river in NE Sicily that flows along the foot of Mt. Etna, before emptying into the Ionian Sea near the city of Acireale (CT). The river’s name derives from its ancient association with the Homeric myth of Acis, the son of the nature-god Faunus and the nymph Symaethis. The river Acis lends its name to a canal on the planet Mars.

Aci Bonaccorsi (CT): A commune of Sicily, in the province of Catania. (see full page)

Aci Castello (CT): A commune of Sicily, in the  province of Catania. (see full page)

Aci Catena (CT): A commune of Sicily, in the province of Catania. (see full page)
          
Aci Consolazione (CT): A locality in the province of Catania. Major earthquakes struck in 1693, 1818, and 1894.

Aci Platani (CT): A frazione of Acireale (CT) in the province of Catania. Major earthquakes struck in 1693 and 1818.

Aci Sant’Antonio (CT): A commune of Sicily, province of Catania.
Former Names (if any): (Sic. Jaci Sant’Antoniu)
Region
: Sicilia │ Province: Catania.
Coordinates: Lat. 37°36’25″N/Long. 15°7’15” E.
Location/Setting: Located 13 km NNE of Catania, it is situated in a coastal hilly area on the SE slope of M. Etna. Part of the Regione Agraria n. 7 – Colline litoranee di Acireale.
Alt.: 302 m.
Area: 14.27 km².
Population: 16,901 (2006e).
Pop. Density: /km².
Frazioni & Localities: S.Maria La Stella, Monterosso Etneo, Lavinaio, Lavina.
CAP: 95025.
Tel. Prefix: 095.
Name of Inhabitants: Santantoniesi.
Patron Saint(s):  Sant’Antonio Abate. Feast Day: Jan. 17.
Economy: The economy is based principally on agriculture (citrus fruits, olives, fruit, and wine grapes). The commune is also a center for livestock breeding (cattle and horses). One of the most important manufactured products is linseed oil. The town is also a center for the production of the famous Sicilian decorated carts (Carretti Siciliani). Another typically Sicilian art form practiced here is the manufacture of Sponde, figures used to recreate the feats of the medieval French Paladins.
History: The town arose in medieval times around a now-lost church dedicated to Sant’Antonio (hence its name). That church, along with the rest of the original town, has been destroyed by the many lava-flows from Mt. Etna (1169, 1329, and 1408) that have ravaged the place. The commune has been a feudal fief for much of its history, belonging first to the Platamone family, and later to the Moncada family. After being abandoned for a time, the present center arose on the site (Aci Superiore) in 1672 under the control of Luigi (or Stefano) Riggio, Prince of Campofranco and Campoflorido. The Spanish crown awarded him the title of Prince of Aci S. Antonio and S. Filippo. This new town was severely damaged by the great earthquake of 1693 and largely rebuilt.
                In 1702, the Prince of Campoflorido Luigi II constructed a great palace in the town.
                On April 15, 1951 Aci Sant’Antonio gave up some of its territory to create the new commune of Valven­de.
                Major earthquakes struck in 1669, 1693, 1818, 1894, 1905, 1907, 1908, 1911, 1914, 1975, and 1990.