Dirillo
| Dirillo | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | Sicily: provinces of Ragusa, Caltanissetta and Catania |
| Basin features | |
| Main source |
Iblei mountains, near Vizzini 986 m (3,235 ft) |
| River mouth |
Strait of Sicily, south-east of Gela 0 m (0 ft) |
| Basin size | 739.39 km2 (285.48 sq mi) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 54 km (34 mi) |
Coordinates: 37°0′N 14°20′E / 37.000°N 14.333°E
The Dirillo, or Acate, is a 54-kilometre (34 mi) river in Sicily which springs from the Hyblaean Mountains and flows through the areas of Vizzini, Licodia Eubea, Mazzarrone, Chiaramonte Gulfi, Acate, Vittoria, Gela. It enters the Strait of Sicily south-east of the town of Gela. As the largest river in the area it is sometimes known as the Fiume Grande.
The river was known in antiquity as the Achates. Theophrastus in his treatise On Stones (ca. 315 B.C.) indicates that the name of the gemstone achates (agate) was based on the source of such stones from this river.Pliny the Elder makes the same connection in his Naturalis Historia Agate and chalcedony can still be found here. During the period of Arab rule it became known as Wadi‑Ikrilu: ‘The River of Acrille’, an ancient Greek-Roman colony that stood in the surroundings.
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Wikipedia