A little bit of Western Sicily culture in a nutshell will help you tackle sailing trips in the best possible way!

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Tonnara di Favignana and the history of the Florio family

A visit to the former Florio factory is essential for those who want to experience a journey into the thriving past of the trap and of what it represented for the development of the island of Favignana. A true jewel of industrial archeology, it was not only the place where the equipment, anchors and boats of the slaughter were kept in what became one of the most flourishing tuna canning industries, but also represents the history of the Florio family and of the its intertwining with the life of the islanders, who found social redemption from poverty and a source of economic subsistence. The Florio family in 1841 rented the trap for the slaughter from the Pallavicini family of Genoa. Having bought the islands of Favignana and Formica and acquired the fishing rights in 1874, Ignazio Florio enlarged and restructured the trap, building the plant for the conservation of tuna. The first of its kind and it is here that the revolutionary method of preserving tuna in oil after boiling and canning was invented.

At the Universal Exhibition of 1891-92, Florio also presented innovative tin boxes with key opening. With the construction of the plant, the renewed impetus given to fishing and marketing of bluefin tuna, on the main national and foreign markets, was amply rewarded by the success, both in terms of image and profit.

The beaks: a great weapon of offense

Never before have so many beaks emerged from the sea. Eleven to be exact, and one is still on the bottom. They come from a stretch of sea north-west of the island of Levanzo: the place where on 10 March 241 BC a Roman fleet of 200 ships defeated the much larger Carthaginian fleet in the so-called battle of the Egadi, which changed history: it did not decree only the end of the First Punic War, but the beginning of the Carthaginian decline and the Roman rise. From that day Rome, which until then had only subdued peoples close to her, began her great conquest of the Mediterranean.

Upon arrival at the port of Favignana you will notice the Florio palace overlooking the port

Grotta del Genovese

In Levanzo, a small island in the Egadi archipelago, there is the Grotta del Genovese, an archaeological site that testifies to how life flowed 12,000-13,000 years ago.

Inside the cave, which can be visited with local guides, the culture of Palaeolithic and Neolithic men is documented; hunters, whose propitiatory rites have come down to our days in the form of rock art.

Erice

Erice is a splendid Sicilian village rich in culture, history and traditions: from museums to civil monuments to the goodness of the place.

Perched on the top of the mountain of the same name, the medieval village of Erice stands out from the top of its 750 meters, enjoying an exceptional panoramic view overlooking the Gulf of Trapani and the Egadi islands on one side and the Valderice valley on the other, embracing the countryside of the Sicilian hinterland. Small and incredibly authentic, Erice is a maze of cobbled streets that flow between churches, squares and ancient courtyards and that invites its visitors to discover.

Not to be missed are the typical Ericini sweets including the Genoese, born from the expert hands of the cloistered nuns and now proposed according to the original recipe in the pastry shop of Mrs. Maria Grammatico.

Since 1963 Erice has been the seat of the Ettore Majorana Center for Scientific Culture, established on the initiative of Professor Antonino Zichichi, to attract the most qualified scholars in the world for the scientific treatment of problems affecting various sectors. For this reason the town has been given the nickname of "city of science".

Salt Museum

The stages and events of a history spanning centuries and centuries are retraced.
Visiting these places allows you to discover the harmonies of a territory, which unites sea and land. Furthermore, the excursion helps to understand the high cultural value of an ancient industriousness, still current, which is that of saliculture.
After visiting the museum, it is possible to stroll in the surrounding salt pans. Among the canals that divide the various salt pans, visitors stroll immersed in a suggestive and colorful atmosphere.

Tonnara of Scopello

The construction dates back to 1300, In 1468 the Trapanese aristocratic family of San Clemente obtained the concession and thus began the first expansion works

In 1874 part of the tonnara was purchased by Ignazio Florio who was responsible for many modernizations. 

Under his management there was an increase in the catch until the last slaughter which dates back to 1980

In 1981 it was used for biological experiments

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Selinunte

The ancient Greek colony of Selinunte in Sicily is one of the most important archaeological areas in Europe, by extension and grandeur. The city of Selinunte played a major role in the history of ancient Greece. According to Deodoro, the first inhabitants of Selinunte were the Phoenicians, who were expelled and the Megaresi settled there, who built archaic altars, then destroyed in the time of construction of the Temples.

One of the largest metropolises of Hellenic Sicily, Selinunte controlled the vast territory of the Belice Valley, hinterland also including: Mazara, Sciacca and Eraclea Minoa and, within the current Castelvetrano territory, Campobello, Partanna, S.Margherita and Sambuca for an extension (2100 square km) makes Selinunte, after Sparta and Athens, the third khora of the Greek world.

In conflict with Segesta who, in the Selinuntine expansion, saw a great threat to his own survival, he fights against his rival four wars that end up involving Athens and Carthage. The intervention of the latter in 409 BC causes the destruction of the city which, despite being subsequently rebuilt following Hermocrates and then by the Carthaginians themselves, will never again rise to its ancient splendor.

Segesta

The ancient city is located on Mount Barbaro. Founded by the Elimi, an ancient Sicilian people of uncertain origins, it was then subject to Hellenic and Roman domination. Walking along the piers above ancient fortifications and the remains of other civilizations, the sensation is that of taking a journey through history. 

The temple of Segesta is beautiful, a magnificent example of Doric style in excellent condition. Not least is the Greek theater carved into the rock which probably dates back to the mid-fifth century and which could accommodate about three thousand spectators. It is choreographically located on the top of Mount Barbaro. 

The theater has been recently restored and is used for theatrical events that evoke ancient Sicily such as those held on the occasion of the Segesta festival, between the end of July and the end of August. 

Of the ancient city are also known the fortifications with the Porta di Valle, the remains of some medieval buildings and then the agora and the “navarca's house” with decorations depicting the prow of a ship dating back to the Greek period.

Gibellina and "Il Gretto di Burri"

The genesis of the work dates back to the destruction of the city of Gibellina (today called "Gibellina Vecchia"), caused by the earthquake of January 14, 1968: the power of the earthquake completely destroyed the city, leaving most of the families homeless. The desire for a rebirth of the city was born from the mind of the mayor Ludovico Corrao, who saw in art a social redemption of the city; among the numerous artists who came to the city free of charge, the name of Burri stood out.

Burri designed a gigantic monument that retraces the streets and alleys of the old city: in fact it stands in the same place where once there was the rubble, now cemented by the work of Burri; the blocks were made by accumulating and caging the rubble of the buildings themselves.

From above, the work appears as a series of concrete fractures on the ground, whose artistic value lies in the freezing of the historical memory of a country. Each slit is two to three meters wide, while the blocks are about one meter and sixty high and have an area of about 80,000 square meters, making it one of the largest contemporary works of art in the world. At about 350 meters from the work, it is also possible to see the remains of the ruins of Gibellina and nearby also those of the present city of Poggioreale

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Palermo

- Cathedral

- The Massimo theater

- The Palatine Chapel

- The Church of the Martorana

- The Quattro Canti and Piazza della Vergogna

- La Vucciria, Palermo's historic market  

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... And much more from History to Gastronomic Culture.

Monreale

The Cathedral of Monreale, "World Heritage Site - Unesco", built starting from 1172, is famous for the rich Byzantine mosaics that decorate the entire interior.

Since 2015 it has been part of the World Heritage Site (UNESCO) as part of the Arab-Norman itinerary of Palermo, Cefalù and Monreale.

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THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE BEAUTIES OF THIS LAND!

Now is the time to go and discover them live together: set sail with our boats and enjoy a trip tailored for you!