Long ago, in the ancient coastal town of Messina, there lived a boy named Nicola. From a very young age, Nicola felt an uncanny connection to the sea. He could dive for hours without taking a breath, swimming with the speed and grace of a great ocean fish. His love for the water was so intense that he often neglected his household chores, spending entire days beneath the waves.
One day, in frustration over his son’s endless fascination with the sea, Nicola’s mother exclaimed in anger, “I wish you would turn into a fish already!” To everyone’s shock, her words came true. Slowly, scales began to cover his skin, webbing formed between his fingers and toes, and Nicola became a remarkable half-human, half-fish creature. From that moment, people called him Colapesce, the boy who belonged to both land and sea.
Word of Colapesce’s extraordinary abilities soon reached King Frederick II. Curious and intrigued, the king decided to test him with a series of daring challenges by throwing precious treasures into the deepest parts of the Strait of Messina. First, he tossed a golden cup into the dark waters, and Colapesce dove without hesitation and returned with it. Then the king threw his crown into an even deeper and more treacherous part of the sea, and once again, Colapesce retrieved it, bringing back astonishing tales of the hidden wonders beneath the waves, including coral caverns, strange sea creatures, and sunken treasures.
Before diving, Colapesce took a small bag of lentils and told those watching onshore, “If you see these lentils and ashes float to the surface, it will mean I will never return.” Days passed, and finally, blackened lentils appeared on the water’s surface. Colapesce had made the ultimate sacrifice. Legend says that, seeing the pillar cracked and Sicily at risk of sinking, he chose to remain beneath the sea forever, using his own shoulders to replace the failing pillar, holding up the island with his strength.
The story of Colapesce symbolizes unwavering responsibility and loyalty. He forsook the freedom of life in the open sea to protect his people, showing that true heroism often requires selfless sacrifice. For the Sicilians, every earthquake or eruption of Mount Etna is a reminder that Colapesce continues to support the island, straining beneath the waves so the land above may remain safe. His tale endures as a legend of courage, duty, and the extraordinary bond between a man and his homeland.