The Casa Museo del Nespolo is a small cultural gem in the heart of Aci Trezza, just steps from the Church of San Giovanni Battista. This 19th-century house, with its distinctive lava stone arch, inner courtyard, and small garden shaded by a medlar tree—from which the museum takes its name—is considered the inspiration for Giovanni Verga’s novel I Malavoglia.
Preserving the traditional Sicilian architecture of the time, the house is now a museum divided into two thematic rooms. The first, “La terra trema”, is dedicated to Luchino Visconti’s neorealist masterpiece filmed in Aci Trezza in 1947 using local non-professional actors. It features on-set photographs, original posters, and behind-the-scenes testimonies.
The second room, “The Malavoglia Room”, displays fishing tools, everyday household items, and objects from the 19th century that document the lives of local fishermen. Particularly notable are the original photos taken by Verga himself and a collection of personal letters to his brother Pietro, offering a rare glimpse into the writer’s private world.
The Casa Museo del Nespolo is a place where literature, cinema, and local heritage come together, evoking the authentic soul of Aci Trezza.