The Odyssey - The Sicilian Myths & Sicilian Filming Locations

The Odyssey is one of two major epics of Ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences.

Homer, possibly born in the 8th century BC, was a poet. Homer was revered in ancient Greek society and is considered one of the most influential authors in history.

The first Greek colony in Sicily was founded at Giardini Naxos in 734 BC established with the name Naxos. Thereafter in 733 BC, by Corinthian settlers, the south eastern city of Syracuse became one of the earliest Greek colonies on the island. It quickly attained wealth and power, important buildings were commissioned, works of art created and sub-colonies were founded. The ancient city was up to three times the size of modern day Syracuse and was divided into five zones including the Neapolis (the archaeological park) and Ortigia (the original settlement). The building of the magnificent Ancient Greek theatre of Syracuse began in the 6th century BC and it became the largest theatre in Sicily. Many Greek tragedies were first staged here and many are still re-enacted today. The cavea (seating area) of the Greek theatre was hewn out of rock and accommodated 15,000 spectators. Its size is still impressive today. In summer months the Greek theatre of Syracuse comes alive again with Greek tragedies as it plays host to the classical plays of ancient Greek times. Homer's epic journey The Odyssey has inspired theatrical adaptations that are performed at this ancient theatre.

I had the pleasure of studying The Odyssey and I have read adaptions of the story and so I know this beloved tale and its myths very well. As a young girl I was fascinated by Greek mythology which was a fascination passed down to me by my father and together we spent many a hour during school holidays in the British Museum in London and I think his love of Ancient Greece and its myths and legends formed part of me falling in love with Sicily due to its Ancient Greek history.

As you all know I do love a Greek myth or legend set in Sicily and my original Penguin edition of The Odyssey by Homer is now part of my Sicilian library in our Sicilian house.

The Odyssey follows the heroic Greek King of Ithaca, Odysseus, also known by the Latin variant Ulysses, and his homecoming journey after the ten year long Trojan War.

His journey from Troy to Ithaca lasts an additional ten years, during which time he encounters many perils and all of his crewmates are killed. In Odysseus's long absence he is presumed dead leaving his wife Penelope and son Telemachus in Ithaca to contend with a group of unruly suitors competing for Penelope's hand in marriage.

This month The Odyssey Movie was released in cinemas.

The Odyssey is an epic fantasy action film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. This adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek story stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and chronicles his long and perilous journey home after the Trojan War and his encounters with mythical beings. Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker known for his Hollywood blockbuster movies with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmmaker of the 21st century.

In Homer’s Odyssey, Sicily forms part of Odysseus’s mythical wanderings although it is not mentioned as a place.

Sicily in Greek mythology is prominently tied to the realm of the man eating Cyclop called Polyphemus traditionally linked to living in a cave on Mount Etna, the Aeolian Islands, home of Aeolus, the keeper of the winds and Scylla and Charybdis which are two immortal, mythological sea monsters famously situated on opposite sides of a narrow strait of water which according to legend is the Strait of Messina between Sicily and Calabria on mainland Italy.

Christopher Nolan chose the Egadi Islands off the west coast of Sicily and the Aeolian Islands off the north coast of Sicily to shoot some of the scenes of his movie.

So where was The Odyssey filmed in Sicily?

The Aegadian Islands (Isole Egadi) also known as 'the islands of the goats' are a group of lush islands off the western coast not far from the cities of Trapani and Marsala. The magic of these islands is their beaches and transparent waters which are a dream come true. Levanzo, Favignana and Marettimo are about 20 minutes from Trapani by hydrofoil and are great for relaxing on a summers day as there is pretty much nothing here except for the cerulean sea and pristine beaches. The islands are most famous for the mattanza, the ancient Arabic tuna fishing rituals and you will see old tuna factories dotted around the islands. Low key is the way to describe the islands and they are never busy. Well for now anyway. They are the perfect place to hire a bike and cycle round or for hiking among beautiful wild horses and donkeys. These islands are favoured by the Sicilians for summer holidays and maybe soon by tourists looking to visit filming locations for The Odyssey.

The Egadi Island of Favignana was used as a filming location.

Favignana is butterfly shaped and is also known as La Farfalla (the butterfly of the sea) and beach time is the order of the day here. It is an island that allows you to breath in the Mediterranean fresh air and forget all your worries. There are amazing diving and snorkelling opportunities and you can get up close and personal with colourful and unusual marine life. Favignana Town has a cluster of great restaurants, bars and shops. Favignana is dotted with tufa quarries and you can visit the caves and explore the handiwork of old quarrymen. At the "Grotta Perciata" the daylight that shines through illuminates the water inside so that it appears to glow.

Christopher Nolan used the Castle of Santa Caterina, a 9th century Saracen watchtower on Favignana for his Palace of Ithaca, it is said that the cast and crew had to hike 45 minutes each day up to the watchtower due to there being no accessible roads. Also Cala del Bue Marino was used which is a beach with clear blue water and fascinating caves and tunnels which is part of one of the ancient quarries once used for its tufa stone. Scenes aboard Odysseus’s fleet of ships were also shot at sea between Cala Pirreca and Cala Rossa.

The Aeolian Islands (Isole Eolie) are the volcanic archipelago in the north that sit like jewels in the Tyrrhenian Sea. They are named after the Ancient Greek god of wind Aeolus and the islands certainly have a Greek Island feel to them, with whitewashed houses and bright blue doors and shutters. The port of Milazzo is the gateway to these stunning islands. Volcanic activity lent to each of these seven islands its own land and seascape. Evidence of 6000 years of history, a live volcano, black lava beaches and the islands food and wines flavoured by the Aeolian sun make them well worth a visit. Each island has a mixture of history with a small town atmosphere. There are two volcanoes Stromboli and Vulcano meaning that volcanic activity has left most of the islands with very fertile soil and thermal waters. The Aeolian Islands were listed by UNESCO in 2000 as a World Heritage Site for providing "an outstanding record of ongoing volcanic phenomena".

The Aeolian Islands of Lipari and Basiluzzo were also used as filming locations. Whilst the whole archipelago is used a background during sunset scenes.

Lipari is the largest of the archipelago and it is also the name of Lipari's main town. Besides Lipari Town there are also four main villages. The island is rich in pumice making it bright white and with thanks to pumice dust on the seabed the waters surrounding the island reflect gorgeous colours ranging from turquoise to bright emerald. It is a beautiful and charming island bustling with visitors with lots of things to see and do.

Basiluzzo, whilst considered as the “eighth” Aeolian Island, is in fact a rock formation but is called an island due to its size. This island is uninhabited except for typical Mediterranean flora and fauna and wild animals and reptiles. Whilst it is prohibited to humans its surrounding waters provide an ideal location for diving and snorkelling.

The Faraglioni di Lipari, two rocks that emerge from the sea known locally as “The Guardians of the Island” and Pietra del Bagno, a large volcanic sea rock off the western coast of Lipari, which is popular for scuba diving, was used in the movie along with the island of Basiluzzo to recreate the perilous crossing between the mythical Scylla and Charybdis.

So who are the mythical Sicilian characters in The Odyssey?

Polyphemus the Cyclop. The coastline from Aci Castello just north of Catania to Aci Trezza, south of Taormina, is called the Riviera dei Ciclopi (The Riviera of the Cyclops). Aci Trezza is an ancient fishing village where three rocks stand prominently in the sea. These legendary rocks were said to be thrown there by the cyclop Polyphemus. In Homer's 'The Odyssey', after Odysseus escaped capture, Polyphemus broke rocks from Mount Etna and threw them at Odysseus and his men in a fit of anger as they escaped on their ship and the rocks landed in the sea. Polyphemus had been holding them hostage in his Mount Etna cave eating them one by one. Odysseus made Polyphemus drunk and blinded him by plunging a burning stake into his one eye whilst he lay asleep. The men escaped by clinging to the bellies of Polyphemus’s flock of sheep as the sheep left the cave to graze. Polyphemus had previously asked Odysseus what his name was and he replied "Nobody" so as they escaped other cyclops shouted and asked Polyphemus who had blinded him and he shouted "Nobody did it" therefore none of the other cyclops came to help him.

Whilst not a filming location for the movie Aci Trezza is a lovely seaside town to visit for a seafood lunch and we always enjoy a drive along the Coast of Cyclops, instead of taking the motorway towards Catania, with its breath taking views over the vast sea and you can just imagine one of Odysseus’s ships sailing away to escape from Polyphemus’s fury throwing rocks at them.

We have a terracotta mask of Polyphemus made by a local artisan up on our roof terrace of our Sicilian house who looks out towards Mount Etna, we like to think that he guards and protects our home when we are in London.

Scylla and Charybdis were mythical sea monsters supposedly located on opposite sides of the Straits of Messina between Sicily and Calabria. Scylla was described as a six headed sea monster and Charybdis as a whirlpool. They were regarded as maritime hazards located so close to each other that they posed an inescapable threat to passing sailors, avoiding Charybdis meant passing too close to Scylla and vice versa. According to Homer's account, Odysseus was advised to pass by Scylla and lose only a few sailors, rather than risk the loss of his entire ship and crew in the whirlpool. Because of such myths, the bad result of having to navigate between two hazards eventually entered proverbial use as in the saying “to choose the lesser of two evils”. Today the waters of the narrow Straits of Messina are still known to be rough, whether that is because of two sea monsters who knows! Just keep an eye out (pardon the pun Polyphemus) for them if you are ever taking the ferry from Sicily to Calabria.

In Homers Odyssey, Odysseus and his men, after escaping from the Cyclop ended up next in ‘Aeolia’ thought to be The Aeolian Islands. The Aeolian Islands are named after the Greek demigod of wind and navigation Aeolus, he lived there and kept his winds in one of the many Aeolian caves. Aeolus was the king of ‘Aeolia’ where he lived with his wife and six sons and six daughters. To ensure safe passage home for Odysseus and his men, Aeolus gave Odysseus a bag containing all the winds, except the gentle west wind. But when almost home Odysseus's men, thinking that the bag contained treasure, opened it and they were all driven by the winds back to Aeolus and his islands. Believing that Odysseus must evidently be hated by the gods, Aeolus sent him away without further help.

Homer’s tale of Aeolus and his winds are not featured in the movie although the winds are referred to.

We also have a terracotta Aeolus on our roof terrace but sadly last winter there was an incident and I found my Greek God of Wind broken on the floor. Maybe he had become a victim of the “Colpo d'aria" during high winter winds on our terrace. “Colpo d'aria" is an italian expression used a lot in Sicily referring to a cultural belief that a sudden exposure to cold air, especially when the body is damp or sweaty, can lead to various ailments. It's not a recognized medical condition but rather a popular explanation for things like neck pain, stiffness, or a sore throat. “Colpo d'aria" literally translates to "a hit of air" or "a blow of air". In Sicily there are many ailments not known to us Brits, in order to avoid Colpa d’aria a Sicilian will wear a scarf or neckerchief well into June. It seems ironic that my Aeolus had maybe become a victim of the Colpo d'aria. Maybe I should get my new Aeolus a scarf for when we close up our Sicilian house for winter.

This week I went to watch The Odyssey movie and I absolutely loved every minute of the three hours that it runs. It is the first ever feature film shot entirely with IMAX film cameras and so the ‘at sea’ scenes are breathtaking making you feel like you are onboard with Odysseus and it really made me miss the Sicilian sea. Whilst the Egadi Islands are still on our “bucket list” we have had the pleasure of visiting the Aeolian Islands so it was fabulous to see them on the big screen.

Three hours of no phone, completely isolated from this mortal world, being afraid to blink in case you miss something, deep breathing listening to the soundtrack and never once feeling like ever returning back to reality. The Odyssey is true cinematic meditation and the soundtrack has not left my mind. It is an incredible story written almost 3000 years ago but yet is still powerful.

So who was my favourite character in The Odyssey Movie? Well Argos, Odysseus’s hunting dog, he absolutely stole my heart.

I have to say that I did feel a bit sorry for Polyphemus, there he was sitting in his cave minding his own business with his sheep making his own cheese and then along comes Odysseus who blinds him!

I hope you enjoy the movie, let me know!

The Odyssey by Homer

is available to buy on Amazon

Further reading

If you find Classics hard to follow

then I can highly recommend

Stephen Fry's

‘Odyssey’

it is not the same as Homer’s version

but it is a modern, humorous novel-style retelling rather than the ancient story

Enchanted Islands:

Travel Through Myth & Magic,