FAVIGNANA AND THE EGADI ISLANDS
The island of Favignana with Levanzo and Marettimo form the Egadi islands, last south-west strip of the Italian coast, islands within an island, Sicily, still able to surprise and fascinate. Favignana is history, sea, nature, smells, flavours, colours…a mix of sensations which leave a mark in the eyes and hear of its visitors.
The residence has 15 independent apartments, capable of hosting from 2 to 5 people. The apartments, spacious and well illuminated, have been fubished with style and guarantee a comfortable and easy stay. Internal comfort is guaranteed by the kitchen/living room (with refridgerator, oven, cookery), bathroom with shower, air conditioning, television. Some of the lodgements of the residence (all including accessories/blankets and towels) also have terrace/balcony with view on the sea.
Short history of Favignana
Since Upper Paleolithic (10.000 b.C), Favignana represented a sure shelter for man. Clear traces of his presence have been found near the “faraglione” caves and the “pozzo” cave near San Nicola area. The same area was chosen by the first Phoenician explorers during the 8th century b.C. leaving traces, still visible, in the caves and gaps.
According to “Butler’s theory” from the trapanese Odyssey, Favignana was included in one of Ulysses’ voyages, represented by the “island of goats”, reached by the hero and his crew after he met Poliphemus.
Favignana, ancient “Aegusa or Egussa” is also remembered for being the ground where one of the most important and cruel naval battles of ancient history: the battle of Egadi Islands, fought near “cala rossa” by the Punic and roman fleet. On Wikipedia it’s possible to read a detailed report of this event, which sentenced the end of the Carthaginian empire in favor of the growing power of Rome:
“In Carthage, meanwhile, the news of enemy activity was left unanswered. A new Carthaginian fleet was also built, numbering about 250 warships (although probably undermanned), and launched in the Mediterranean under the command of Hanno (the general defeated at Agrigentum and Cape Ecnomus. Catulus' first move was to besiege the Sicilian port city Lilybaeum (at the western tip of Sicily, now called Marsala) once more, by blockading its harbour and the connection to Carthage. The intent was seemingly to cut Hamilcar Barca's supply and communication lines. For the rest of the year Catulus waited for the Carthaginian response. The senate granted him a proconsulship for 241 BC.
The Carthaginian fleet arrived to relieve the blockade the following year (241 BC). Hanno called a halt near the Aegadian Islands to wait for a favourable breeze that would speed him to Lilybaeum. However, the Carthaginian fleet was spotted by Roman scouts and Catulus abandoned the blockade to meet his enemy. On the morning of March 10, the wind favoured the Carthaginians and Hanno immediately set sail. Catulus measured the risk of attacking with the wind in his bow versus the risk of letting Hanno reach Sicily to relieve Hamilcar Barca and Lilybaeum. Despite unfavourable conditions, the proconsul decided to intercept the Carthaginians and ordered his fleet to prepare for battle. He had the Roman ships stripped of their masts, sails and other unnecessary equipment in order to make them more seaworthy in the rough conditions. Catulus himself was unable to join the actual battle because of injuries suffered in an earlier engagement, so in the actual battle the ships were commanded by his second in command, Falto.
In the ensuing battle the Romans enjoyed a far greater mobility, since their vessels were carrying only the bare necessities, while the Carthaginians were burdened with men, equipment and provisions. The Carthaginian crews were also hurriedly levied and inexperienced. The Romans quickly gained the upper hand, using their ships' greater maneuverability to ram the enemy vessels. About half of the Carthaginian fleet was either destroyed or captured. The rest were saved only by an abrupt change in the direction of the wind, allowing them to flee from the Romans, who had left their masts and sails on shore.”
As the Roman Empire fell there have been several invasions by barbarian populations (440 b.C) and later by the Saracenians who built the sighting towers placed on Mount S. Caterina, later transformed into fortress by Ruggero II, king of normands.
In the XIV century, the kingdom of the Anjou took the place of the aragonites, mainly characterized by dramatical and negative events: insurrections, imprisonments and abuses due mainly to the bad administration of the governors. Towards mid of XVII century the government passed to the hands of Giacomo Frignoni and then FilippIII who sold it to Camillo Pallavicino.
This was a particularly wealthy period for the island of Favignana, which saw a noticeable thrust towards agriculture and fishing which reached its peak starting from 1874, when Ignazio Florio bought Egadi islands for 3 million from Pallavicino family. He can be considered the greatest Sicilian industrial/mecenate (although his origins were from Calabria), created in Favignana the largest fish factory in the world and gave a strong impulse to the “mattanza”, traditional way of fishing tuna.
For further information:
Island of Favignana (it): http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favignana
Island of Favignana (eng): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favignana
Battle of Aegadian Islands (ita): http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battaglia_delle_Isole_Egadi
Battle of Aegadian Islands (eng): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Aegates_Islands
Favignana’s Tuna Factory
Whoever approaches the island’s coast and in particular its port cannot avoid noticing the Florio Tonnara (tuna factory), one of the extraordinary examples of industrial history, with tall thin chimneys, thick walls and sloping roofs, slides on the sea for the boats. Even those who never saw it before would have no difficulty in recognizing it, easily guessing the social and symbolic value of this industrial factory. Its many wide buildings show off in a line, one next to the other, set between the mountain and the town’s houses, looking over the port’s inlet, illuminated by that bright light which only islands know. The entrance of the Tonnara welcomes guests with the imposing Florio escutcheon, the lion drinking from the bank, over which we can read “industry dominates strength”.
It was in fact Ignazio Florio, purchasing Aegadian Islands at the end of 1800 to relaunch the already existing complex thanks to the collaboration of Giuseppe Damiani de Almeyda, one of the major architects working in Palermo at that time; he projected the restructuring and widened the plant. Up to that moment the premises of the Tonnara were built as the necessity occurred, without any general logic. Damiani rationalized the entire structure giving it the imposing look which has never disappeared.
Unfortunately the luck of this Tonnara “with glorious fishing”, as described by Marchese di Villabianca in his writings, followed the same destiny of the family to which it was bond. When the economical situation of Florio started to worsen, the Tonnara was sold to a family from Genova, the Parodi. It was transformed in a joint stock company and worked well till mid ‘900. Then it started to suffer the presence of modern technologies and more efficient fishing systems. In 1985 it was purchased by Nino Castiglione, already owner of Bonagia/San Cusumano tonnare. This man’s inventive managed to give new life to the ancient structure.
Today the Tonnara is being restructured and will become the modern cultural center, describing the sea, the Florio’s and the ancient knowledge hidden in its walls.
For further information:
Mattanza (ita): http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattanza
Mattanza (eng): http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art125.htm
Florio’s Tonnara (ita): http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonnara_Florio
The Florio’s Myth (ita): http://www.parrocchie.it/egadi/madrice/rubriche/cmn8802.htm
The Florio’s Myth (eng): http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art67.htm
The Aegadian, Levanzo and Marettimo
For the ancient Greeks the Aegadian islands represented the edge of the known world. For the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, they were important commercial bases. The romans made of them their defense bulwark against Hamilcar and Hannibal’s armies. And so on passing from the arabs to the normans to the spanish, who’s traces are clearly visible in the surenames of the inhabitants. The Aegadian, today as in the past, draw the profile of Trapani’s open coast horizon, last strip of Sicily before the infinity of the Mediterranean sea. The most important island is surely Favignana, called by the ancient Aegusa or Favonia, in honour of the wind that always blows. The island is a microcosm to be discovered, with ancient establishments of Florio Tonnara, the remote fortress of Santa Caterina, the Madrice square where the daily life of the islanders pulses and animates itself during the evening with the strolls of the guests. There is more, the old tuff caves and the turquoise transparent waters wetting the bays, like Cala Rossa and Cala Azzurra. Favignana is the most “modern” although you should not expect the movida which animates the nights of other Mediterranean islands.
Just further on lies Levanzo, the smallest of the three (just 10 square Km) and the nearest to the port of Trapani, with its gorgeous clean houses placed on the port full of calm colourful boats. Levanzo, a small strip of island which keeps one of the most ancient remains of human presence in Sicily: the wall figures of men and animals drawn and scratched on the surfaces of Genovese cave, bring us back to the Mesolithic with its obscure rituals and its mysterious and wild life. These carvings are the most ancient of all Europe together with equivalent ones in France. Levanzo is an island for those who seek calm holidays, with crystal clear sea and no nightlife. It is also a trekking and biking paradise, with its trails for any amateur and any level of difficulty.
Last is Marettimo, the furthest away and the highest and rockiest; a silent island, calm, where days should be spent by the sea or walking along the trails covered with an exploding vegetation.
Called in the past HIERA (sacred) it hosted, together with Favignana, some of the most important happenings of the Punic wars, identified as ancient ITACA, home of Ulysses, according to some trapanese theories.
Just as Levanzo, it’s an ideal place for submersions, with its amazing seabed and coast full of small caves. Its crystal clear sea has been defined the cleanest of the entire Mediterranean sea.
For further information:
Aegadian islands (ita): http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isole_Egadi
Aegadian islands (ing): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egadi
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