St. Elia is a small fishing village on the north coast of Sicily, a short drive from my home. Their fishing boats, made entirely of wood, are blue, white and orange. Each village along this coast paints its boats a specific color scheme.
The fishermen sometimes row silently, but sometimes plonk outboard motors on the back of their boats. Many families depend on fishing for their livelihood so you need a license to go out fishing here – hobby fishing is not allowed.
This gigantic plant is over 30 feet tall and they only live two years. First the leaves at the base grow, then the following year the whole flowering stem shoots up in one springtime. After the seeds are ripe, the stem one day suddenly tips over, scattering the seeds far and wide.
Oleanderers growing along the St. Elia sea shore.
The cross is the main landmark in St. Elia, on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea. It gives the fishermen a point of reference, and lovers a private spot to canoodle at night.
This is the view of the village taken from the cross.
In Sicilian fishing villages, the fishermen who fish for a living always have a separate beach for their boats from the rich people who go out in pleasure boats. The pleasure boats are always much more modern and expensive than those owned by the professional fishermen.
A house in St. Elia.
St. Elia is a fairly typical Sicilian fishing village yet it has a unique charm. My husband brought me here when plotting to take me out under the stars for our first ever kiss. And he took me here again when he proposed.
I decided to take him here when I had the exciting news that I was pregnant, and he was so overjoyed he almost fell into the sea.
Who knows what our next important event in St. Elia will be?
The Dangerously Truthful Diary of a Sicilian Housewife 
Man, a little slice of heaven. Is it touristy? Are there cute restaurants with delicious food?
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It’s not touristy at all, actually. No souvenir shops whatsoever. There are nice bars looking right out over the beach, but I canì’t think of any restaurants at all. There must be some!!!
What most people round here do is go to Porticello for lunch, which is just down the road and has a good choice of fabulous fish restaurants all along the sea front, then go to St. Elia for ice-cream afterwards. Porticello is also lovely but also not touristy – they’re both places the locals keep secret!
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I love this. After Crimea I am all about going somewhere that’s more secluded and, ugh, “authentic.”
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No offense to Crimea but I bet Sicily’s nicer!!! 😛
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Hi there,
My grandmother was born there in 1899 and all my aunts uncles and cousins still live there. My maiden name is Salvato and our family names are Alioto and Balistreri. Do you know any of my family? I’m coming over next year for the first time. I’m so excited.
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The Balistreri’s are the biggest clan in St. Elia and some of the surrounding villages. I know plenty of Balistreris which means I almost certainly know some of your family!
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It looks idyllic! I can see why you and your husband use it for very special occasions.
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A little late to the party, but my grandfather his parents and siblings were all born there. Giuseppe Alioto, my mother was the oldest of his children. I was in Sant ‘Elia a couple of years ago and before that in 1976. Boy how things had changed in over 40 years.
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Alioto is one of the major surnames in this area so I’m guessing you have lots of relatives still there?
😀
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Hello Mary Ann
Giuseppa Orlando, was born in Santa’Elia Iam sure my famly Knows yours.You donot Know how happy Iam to hear from you Please EMail Me
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We’re cousins, u live there?
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My family originated in Sant’Elia back before the turn of the century…..Salvatore Balistreri was my grandfather. The family moved to U.S. around 1895. Settled in Milwaukee. Started with a push cart…did the same in Milwaukee until they started grocery stores: Sendiks.
I visited there in 2006 and stayed at the Hotel Kafaro…a beautiful place on the sea.
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I guess you know my family as I am a Balistreri from Sant’Elia. Grandfather was Salvatore, and Dad was Joseph. My uncles were Ignatius, Tony, Tom and Frank. And Aunt Mary. What a beautiful place. Day I finally got there for the first time, my father died that very morning…back in Florida.
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The towering plant is an Agave Americana. They live longer than just two years, but flower only once at the end of their live (perhaps 30 years). They are everywhere. read the article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_americana.
Another interesting article on these plants in Segesta, Sicily: http://www.tanglewoodconservatories.com/blog/2014/01/agaves-in-sicily/
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Interesting! Thanks for the links!
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Wow. What a beautiful place! Also, nice job working canoodling into a post.
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I’ve lived in Italy long enough to know how to work canoodling into anything. 🙂
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LOL!
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I’m amazed at that plant that is so tall and only lives 2 years! Thanks for sharing the views of this amazing place, where you had such incredible important memories from. Lucky he didn’t fall into the sea with the emotion 😉
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Apparently at their peak growth phase the stem grows 10 centimetres every day!
And I’m glad you liked the photos! 🙂
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Gosh that’s a lot. One of the things I do each morning (I know, I should have better things to do) is inspect my plants and comment on their growth / death rates. I would be flipping with this plant. xx
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I’m afraid my plants’ death rates always exceed their growth rates, so I just don’t look any more!
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That’s a very beautiful little bay and looks very familiar 🙂
Those who own houses or villas there along the coast are so lucky. Imagine that: doing some work indoors, followed by simply walking out the back of one’s house, down the concrete stairs and jumping into the sea for a refreshing swim. Unreal.
My girlfriend has a little apartment about 20 minutes driving from there where we live when we visit Sicily, but I hope to be able to buy a proper house in the future and work from home there, but I have a language barrier to overcome and know absolutely nothing about tax laws, pensions, healthcare, and working as a self employed person in Italy/Sicily (and most likely for foreign clients to complicate matters even more), etc. I’ve still got a lot of orientation and learning to do.
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Getting a house there would be wonderful!! I sometimes dream of that myself…
If you’re working for foreign clients, try to find out if you can pay your taxes in their country, or your country of origin, rather than Italy which has probably the highest tax rate in Europe.
Pensions – that’s a Do-It-Yourself arrangement if you’re sensible, don’t count on anything from the Italian state in future.
Healthcare – you basically pay for everything privately in Sicily as the public health services are more-or-less bankrupt and only give free healthcare to the very poor. THe hospitals look terrifying but the doctors are almost all good and the important equipment is there.
There – my ten second guide to living in Sicily!
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Thanks for the little guide!
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I recently went out for dinner with a girlfriend whose mother is from a sicilian town near Syracuse. We visited sicily 3 years ago with no relatives, just my own enthralment of the place established through having to read The Leopard in my final year of high school (and yes, the Montalbno link). Your beautiful final photo, those first early moments of sun and the last moments of an evening that are truly magical in Sicily. I could not explain to her vividly how lucky her heritage is. You are very fortunate to have a link to this beautiful place and I enjoy seeing your photos with each blog. Thank you, not even my Sicilian uncle (through marriage) truly appreciates his unique birthplace!
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I’m glad you enjoyed the photos – it really is gorgeous!
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Lovely photos, notes and your own story. Thanks! You must know you tempt all to pull up stakes and move to Sicily, ha-ha! Wonder how long it would take me to learn Italian at my age.
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It’s never too late to learn the language of love, that’s what I say!
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wow, what a stunning views, great photograph!!!
i had a sicilian friend, she made simple english sounds sexy, lol
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Ha ha! Yes, Sicilians can be quite irresistible sometimes! 🙂
I love it when my husband tries to talk English. He sounds hilarious and sexy at the same time!!!!
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Yes, there is something about Sicilian men who try to speak english that’s pretty special!
I love St Elia, thanks for taking me there … I think we are both in love with little Sicilian towns don’t you think? I’m in the mountains and you by the sea …
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That’s very true. But even though I love the sea, I am really a mountain girl at heart and whenever I breathe some of the air up a mountain I feel well inside, and somehow as if I am home.
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That’s the exact same feeling I get whenever I’m there. The mountains make me feel at home and alive. I enjoy walking up/over them (not just look at them). In Holland, everything’s flat and man-made unfortunately – quite the opposite of what I instinctively prefer. Last April, I walked over the mountains just south of Altavilla Milicia a few times, for example. Monte Catalfano is smaller, but enjoyable too. Strangely (again), every Sicilian person I know there, doesn’t like hiking in the mountains.
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There is something magic about the mountain air, it’s so funny when it gets nippy how the appetite kicks in big time 🙂
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This village holds a special place in my heart since my family called it home! I am a 2nd generation Sicilian who grew up in California and traced my family name – Balistrieri – through a family tree and found our origins on the beautiful coast of Sicily in St. Elia. What a spectacular little cove and village to celebrate life and the bounty of the sea. Someday I will make the trip to experience the spoils of my ancestors.
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Ah yes! The Balistreris are a massive and talented tribe around here – one of the biggest families on this stretch of coast!
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Hi Housewife!
I finally got to beautiful Sant’Elia in 2006- to see where my father came from. The Balistreri Clan The one that immigrated to MIlwaukee around the turn of the century. From Milwaukee, Dad moved us to S. Florida in the early 60’s where we lived near the ocean on a canal.
But most of my Balistreri cousins are still in Milwaukee.
I think that mountains and the waterfront gets in your blood…I live on a beautiful pristine lake in the mountains of NC . But yearn to
visit Sicily again.
I like reading your posts.
Kathy
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Thank you – I’m really glad you enjoy my blog.
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I just stumbled across this blog and loved reading this post! Marc, my family is also from Sant’Elia and is named Balestrieri! They came to San Francisco, CA to settle in North Beach here and continue their fishing businesses. The Aliotos came with them and there was some intermarrying. That was my great grandparents at the turn of the century. I know this comment is a few years after yours but if you see it I would love to chat about our family trees!! FYI I have a lot of Concettas and Franks in my family!
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My family is Balestrieri from San Francisco. I do not know a lot of my extended family. My grandfather owned a fish market in North Beach with his sister in law Fell.
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My family’s house is actually the one with the stone with the stairs leading down. Great article! Still have a bunch of relatives there and you have made it sound as wonderful as it is!
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Nice house and location! I assume you’re referring to the one in the background of the photo with the boy standing at the cross. You can see it here in my video at 1:15 too:
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The enchanted cove where my Nonnu is from. I’m an Alioto and my nonna was a Balistreri. We now live just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USA.
I think we have more Siciliano’s here in the greater Milwaukee area than there is in Santa Elia and Porticello combined!
Wonderful article!
Ciao,
Michael
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Hello Michael, I too am a Balistreri. Related to the Balistreri (Sendik food stores in Milwaukee) My cousins run the stores now. Dad and his brothers and father, Salvatore started the business in 1905. I would like to know more of my relatives too! Did you know we have cousins in Denver who own a winery? Balistreri wines are fantastic! Hope to hear from you.
Kathy
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It’s nothing like the old folks told me. I have 2 grand mothers maiden named Balistreri. One became Tarantino and one Passantino. It’s beautiful!!!
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Hello- amazing blog post. I am also descended from Balistreri’s and have looked and looked for St. Elia on Google Maps. Can you please, please, please point out exactly where it is?
Thanks so much in advance!
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I am so sorry! I was very naughty and anglicised the spelling. If you type exactly this into Google maps, you will find it:
Sant’Elia Santa Flavia
And if you do visit Sicily, be sure to visit Aspra just down the coast because half the people there are Balistreris. If you know the names of grandparents or whoever was last in Sicily, I may be able to connect you with relatives!
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Thi i
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Hi VH, I see your post is from ’16. My great grandfather was Pietro Balistreri. His Sicilian nickname was, “pescia femia” yes, it translates to, pee’s like a female! 😂
He left Aspra around 1898. He has a nephew named Giovanni Batista Balistreri who is in his 80’s who owns a five star restaurant way up, built into the hillside. I would love to be reconnected to my Balistreri ancestors.
Ciao,
Michael
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Leah, I hope you have gone to Sicily and Sant’Elia. I took my daughter in 2006. Want to go back. I am a Balistreri. Took my maiden name back after divorce. People welcomed me the hour I got to Sant’Elia. It was amazing. Went to Mass in the church where my Dad was baptized.
Kathy
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That is the strange thing- if I paste that in, it seems to take me a bit inland, on Sant’ Elia Street. I think I found it, however- Via dei Cantieri, 90017 Santa Flavia PA, Italy. I think that is the monument you mentioned.
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Try looking for Via dei Cantieri and you should find the deep recess into the coastline, and on the promontory at the end, Google maps labels the Madonna as Punta Sant’Elia. But you are right, it is very odd that they don’t label it as a distinct village, because it most definitely is one!!!
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Hello, This is an interesting link to information about Sant’Elia. My husband’s grandmother (Rosalia Tarantino) was raised & married in Sant’Elia and then came to the United States in about 1908. We will be in Sant’Elia in early November and feel very excited about seeing they came from and enjoying the views that they looked out on. Thank you for posting this. Nancy
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hello . i m from malta and my dear departed husband was a keen fisherman . we always promised to come and visit this charming fishinf place . . so i m trying to come and visit with our daughter . do you think we can make the visit in a day . and how to go around the trip . in malta no one knows so perhaps you can help pls cos i just stummbled on yor page whilst looking for st elia . tks both ways if you can help me of not . regards
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Hello!
I think one day would be too liitle time, to be honest. If you take the ferry from Malta to Sicily you will reach the south coast and need to drive north – it is quite a long drive. If you fly, I think it is also pushing it to get there and back in a day.
I would make a weekend of it!
And I hopeyou have a lovely time. 🙂
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We would love to plan a trip there because my grandparents were born and raised there. Where would you suggest staying if we want to visit Sant’Elia?
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St Elia itself is tiny and I honestly don’t know if there are any places to stay right in the village.
Have you searched online?
I would suggest booking.com and if you can’t find anything actually in St Elia then I would look a little further afield, either in Palermo or along the coast.
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We stayed in a B&B called La Calleta. Very clean. Fabio, the owner, made breakfast on the rooftop every morning. Just head up Via Bellante from the church.
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Very nice! MY Great Grand parents are from Sant’Elia the Tarantino’s & Camarda’s
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Hi VH, I see your post is from ’16. My great grandfather was Pietro Balistreri. His Sicilian nickname was, “pescia femia” yes, it translates to, pee’s like a female! 😂
He left Aspra around 1898. He has a nephew named Giovanni Batista Balistreri who is in his 80’s who owns a five star restaurant way up, built into the hillside. I would love to be reconnected to my Balistreri ancestors.
Ciao,
Michael
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So fun to read all this as I recently traced back my great grandparents to St. Elia.
I am from San Francisco. My family are the Balestreris and cousins are the Aliotos.
I have been to Italy many times but never south of Puglia.
I need to visit this summer….St. Elia has a of the 5 cities.
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I saw on here someone with family last name Balestreri?? My grandfather is Baptista John Balestrieri. It is spelled different he was from north beach and his parents from St Elia.
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Is there two different Balestrieri families? I see different spelling
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As far as I know, they’re all connected. It’s quite common in Sicilian families to end up with two different spellings, simply because few people could read in the past and a clerk would decide what to write on a birth certificate.
This happened in my Hubby’s family. His grandfather has his surname spelled with an E in it, whereas the grandfather’s brother had is spelled with an I. So half his cousins ha e a slightly different surname!
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I am an Alioto and we are from the clan that settled in Pittsburgh. My grandparents were Giovanni and Rosa (Machi) and rhe lived in Sant Elia on Via Croce. I have been lucky enough to visit there a few times and I love the peace and tranquillity there!
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Hi – I cannot believe the most recent comment on this multi-year thread has my last name! (And I read to the bottom 🙂
I am Emily MACHI. We are thrilled to be headed to Sicily in June, and are going to be looking for old documentation and connections to the place I remember hearing bits and stories of since I was little. Any tidbits you could share would be so appreciated – my grandfather was Andrew Machi passed in 1997, his mom was Giovannina “Jenny” Balistreri Machi and his dad Fransesco “Frank” Machi. So your grandmother must have been related to my grandfather….siblings?
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Hi!
I am so excited that I read through this multi-year thread, all the way to the bottom 😉 I found a Machi.
I am Emily Machi, live in northern California and am over-the-moon to be taking our first (of many!) trips to Sicily this June. My grandfather was Andrew Anthony Machi, and we lost him in 1997 but heard so many passed-on stories for the love of fishing, the ocean, amazing cooking, family in the Old Country/Sant’Elia …and Sicily! His father was Fransesco “Frank” Machi and his mom was Giovannina “Jenny” Balistreri Machi. So your grandmother must have been related to my grandfather…siblings???
Any tips, don’t miss highlights, special locations you could share would be really appreciated, especially if you have knowledge of where to find old family documents (birth certificates, etc.). I will be traveling with my parents, as it’s my dad’s 80th birthday! (Lawrence Anthony Machi) my husband, and my 7-year old twins.
Great to e-meet you! Emily
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Hi!
I am so excited that I read through this multi-year thread, all the way to the bottom 😉 I found a Machi.
I am Emily Machi, live in northern California and am over-the-moon to be taking our first (of many future!) trips to Sicily this June. My grandfather was Andrew Anthony Machi, and we lost him in 1997 but heard so many passed-on stories for the love of fishing, the ocean, amazing cooking, family in the Old Country/Sant’Elia …and Sicily! His father was Fransesco “Frank” Machi and his mom was Giovannina “Jenny” Balistreri Machi. So your grandmother must have been related to my grandfather…siblings???
Any tips, don’t miss highlights, special locations you could share would be really appreciated, especially if you have knowledge of where to find old family documents (birth certificates, etc.). I will be traveling with my parents, as it’s my dad’s 80th birthday! (Lawrence Anthony Machi) my husband, and my 7-year old twins.
Great to e-meet you! Emily
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