Thanks to their permeability, the vulcanites of the Timpa form an important reservoir for the groundwater of this portion of the Sicilian east coast. In some places these waters come to the surface, creating springs mostly around sea level. One of these is called “Sorgente Miuccio”, which is said to be what remains of the Jaci river, a waterway now mostly underground and also mentioned by
Ovid
. These waters are inextricably linked to the mythological love story between the nymph
Galatea and the shepherd boy Acis
.
The name of the shepherd refers to the river, initially known by the Greeks as Akis. Subsequently, it was mentioned by Muhammad al-Idrisi, the famous cartographer of King Roger II, by the name of Aci. This name identified not only the river but an entire area on which nine towns and municipalities would later form, using the same prefix: Acireale, Aci Catena, Aci Castello, Aci Trezza, Aci Platani, Aci Santa Lucia, Aci Bonaccorsi, Aci San Filippo and Aci Sant’Antonio.
