🌊 The Legend of Colapesce and the Sicily That Looks Out to Sea
Sicily has always stood with one foot on land and one in the sea. A place of volcanoes and fishermen, of saints and sailors, of stories whispered by waves.
Among the oldest legends passed from mouth to mouth, there’s one that seems carved in salt and lava: the story of Colapesce, the boy who became one with the sea to save the island he loved.
In this tale of courage and myth, Sicily isn’t just a land—it’s a soul floating between fire and water.
🐟 Who Was Colapesce?
According to legend, Colapesce—a nickname derived from Nicola and pesce (fish)—was a young boy from Messina or Palermo (depending on the version) who spent his life diving into the sea. He was said to swim better than he walked, and to breathe underwater as easily as on land.
Some claimed he had scales instead of skin, others that he was half-boy, half-fish. But all agreed on one thing: he knew the sea like no one else. He explored sunken cities, spoke to octopuses, and surfaced with coral and pearls in hand.
👑 The Test of the King
One day, King Frederick II heard of the boy who lived in the sea and decided to test his courage. From a royal ship, he threw three objects into the water: a goblet, a crown, and finally—a burning piece of his own kingdom (some say a scroll, others a stone from the palace).
Colapesce retrieved the goblet. He retrieved the crown. But when he dove for the third object, he never came back.
They say he discovered that Sicily was collapsing, resting on three columns at the bottom of the sea—one of them cracked and crumbling. So he chose to remain underwater, holding up the broken pillar with his bare hands, keeping Sicily from sinking.
To this day, fishermen claim to see air bubbles rising from the sea, near the Strait of Messina, when Colapesce exhales.
🏝️ Sicily: A Land That Watches the Sea
Colapesce’s myth is more than a fairy tale. It tells us something deep about Sicily—a place defined by its relationship with the sea.
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Fishing villages like Acitrezza and Marzamemi, where boats still go out at dawn
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Markets like La Vucciria and Ballarò, where sea urchins and anchovies are sold by weight
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Mount Etna, whose lava has flowed into the Ionian, reshaping the coast itself
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And the constant view of the Mediterranean horizon, where stories arrive and depart
👉 Read more: Etna: Wine, Lava, and Legend
👉 Or explore the fishing roots of Sicily in: From Manchester to Catania: Travel Like a Local
🎭 The Myth in Culture and Art
The story of Colapesce has inspired:
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Theatre and opera (including a piece by composer Roberto De Simone)
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Street murals and sculptures across Sicilian cities
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Modern retellings in schoolbooks and folk festivals
Even Italian singer-songwriter Fabrizio De André alluded to Colapesce’s self-sacrifice in his poetry. And the contemporary Sicilian artist Colapesce (the stage name of singer Lorenzo Urciullo) draws his inspiration from this same underwater hero.
🐠 What Colapesce Still Teaches Us
Whether real or not, Colapesce reminds us of something true:
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That loving a place means being willing to carry its weight
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That stories can hold up islands
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That the sea connects us, even when it seems to divide
And perhaps, that Sicily itself, with all its contradictions and beauty, is always in delicate balance—between lava and salt, past and future, myth and memory.
🧁 Taste the Sea at Sicilian NQ
Our restaurant, nestled in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, might be far from the waves, but the sea is in everything we do.
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Try our aubergine caponata, with salty olives and sweet acidity—like sea and sun in one dish
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Pair it with a glass of Frappato or Cerasuolo di Vittoria, fresh and vibrant like the tide
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End with a cannolo, the dessert that tells another timeless Sicilian story
Because Sicily isn’t just a place—it’s a feeling. And Colapesce is still holding us afloat.
