Sciacca, Coastal commune in Sicily, Italy
Sciacca is a coastal commune in the Free Municipal Consortium of Agrigento in Sicily, spreading across several hills and terraces above the harbor. The town combines a historic center with winding streets and multiple neighborhoods that descend toward the water, where fishing boats and small shipyards sit side by side.
Greeks built a spa settlement here in the 5th century BC named Thermae, drawing on the hot springs near Monte San Calogero. Later conquerors from Rome, North Africa and Norman kingdoms left fortified structures and religious buildings still visible in the townscape today.
The annual feast of patron saint San Calogero takes place in early February, drawing locals who carry his statue together through the narrow lanes of the old quarter. Visitors can watch as generations of families gather before the church and recite traditional prayers.
The historic center works best for walking in the morning or evening when light strikes the facades of the palazzi and heat eases. Those staying longer can find both seafront lodgings and quieter quarters in the higher lanes.
The name comes from the Arabic word Syac, meaning water, referring to the thermal springs used since ancient times. Today several of the old spa buildings stand empty or converted into private clinics, yet their stone facades recall the era when travelers from everywhere came to bathe in the hot pools.
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