L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano S i c i l y ' s c o a s t l i n e stretches for about 1,020 miles (1,637 kilometers), mak- ing it the largest island in the Mediterranean. Although it covers only 8% of I t a l y ' s t e r r i t o r y , i t i s t h e r e g i o n w i t h t h e l o n g e s t stretch of land washed by the sea. Three different seas meet its shores: the Mediterranean to the south facing Africa, the Tyrrhenian along the north- ern coast, and the Ionian to t h e e a s t . S a n d y b e a c h e s , r o c k y c o v e s , a n d p e b b l e shores line the waterfront, creating a paradise for any- one who loves the sea. Among those 1,020 miles, there are places with a special c h a r m t h a t m a k e s t h e m unforgettable to anyone lucky enough to visit: one of these is Marzamemi. This fishing village lies on the Ionian coast at Sicily's southern tip, in the province of Syracuse, only a f e w m i l e s f r o m N o t o a n d P a c h i n o . J u s t o f f s h o r e , a small island known as Isola Grande divides two natural harbors with a distinctly pic- turesque look. In 1993 Marza- memi was chosen by director Gabriele Salvatores as the set for his film Sud, and over time it has become one of the most colorful and recogniz- able villages in Italy. Other productions have been filmed here as well, including Kaos, I Malavoglia, The Star Maker by Giuseppe Tornatore, Once Upon a Time in Vigata, and several television series such as Inspector Montalbano (directed by Alberto Sironi and adapted from Andrea Camilleri's novels), Imma- turi, and Blindati. The town has also made a name for itself in the world of cinema through its festivals. From 2000 to 2021 it hosted the Frontier Film Festival, and since 2023 it has been home to the Marzamemi Cinefest, an international event dedicated to Mediter- ranean identities. A l i t t l e h i s t o r y h e l p s explain the place. Thanks to its location and the natural presence of two bays that o f f e r e d s a f e a n c h o r a g e , Marzamemi quickly grew into a port well suited for fishing. During their rule over Sicily, the Spanish built one of the island's largest tuna fisheries here, which soon became one o f i t s m o s t p r o s p e r o u s . Among the features complet- ed by the mid-eighteenth century were the distinctive fishermen's houses, either whitewashed or painted in bright colors, the already mentioned tonnara, and the Church of the Blessed V i r g i n M a r y o f M o u n t Carmel. When the Calascibet- ta barons became owners of the tonnara in 1655, they a n t i c i p a t e d t h e v i l l a g e ' s expansion and invested in its future by building warehous- es along the main street to store wine produced in the surrounding countryside, which was then shipped by sea to France and Liguria. Marzamemi also became the port of departure for thou- sands of tons of salt from the nearby salt pans of Morghella a n d M a r z a m e m i ; l a t e r , A n t o n i n o S t a r r a b b a , w h o twice served as Italy's prime minister in the late nine- teenth century, had a large palmento constructed for milling grain, while the Nico- laci family of Villadorata, the tonnara's new owners, set up a steam mill that was later converted into a distillery. Meanwhile, in 1847, the Bourbons built the Marza- m e m i - P a c h i n o r a i l w a y t o connect the two towns. Work finished in 1853 and boosted maritime trade by linking directly to the port, where construction of Porto Fossa followed in 1855. Good fishing made further expansion possible: in 1912, a processing plant was built to prepare salted tuna, and later tuna preserved in oil. The mattanza, the traditional tuna harvest, took place twice a day, once in the morning and again in the early after- noon. The plant stood next to the Prince's loggia and palace, whose ruins still survive: of its two tall chimneys, one remains precariously upright, while the other collapsed on June 12, 1943, after an RAF air raid just days before the Allied landing in Sicily. The tonnara closed for good in 1969. A decade later, in 1979, the arch that connected the Prince's palace to the cisterns near the roof of the adjoining chapel collapsed after a truck maneuvered carelessly; for- t u n a t e l y , i t w a s l a t e r restored. The sea, of course, shows a surface visible to everyone, but its depths can only be s e e n b y t h o s e w h o d i v e beneath. In 1959 a local fish- erman, Alfonso Barone, m a d e a c h a n c e d i s c o v e r y about a kilometer off Marza- memi's coast: the wreck of a Byzantine merchant ship, probably dating to the sixth century during the reign of Justinian. The vessel had gone down while carrying architectural and decorative e l e m e n t s , m a r b l e f r o m Turkey that was almost cer- tainly destined for the con- struction of a church. B u t n o t a l l s h i p w r e c k s belong to distant centuries: on the night of October 27, 2007, a storm broke out in the waters near contrada Cit- tadella and Vendicari, just outside Marzamemi. A rub- b e r d i n g h y c a r r y i n g 3 7 migrants from Egypt and Palestine was caught off - s h o r e : t h e w r e c k w a s inevitable. In the days that followed, the sea returned 17 bodies to the beach at Vendi- cari, a stark reminder that tragedy can strike even in these waters celebrated for their beauty. Marzamemi remains, at heart, a fishing village. Its w h i t e a n d b l u e h o u s e s , weathered by salt air, and its small wooden boats are a symbol ofgenerations of fish- er men who br ought their catch back to shore. Even its name has multiple possible origins, all pointing to the sea. One explanation traces it t o t h e A r a b i c M a r s à a l hamen, "Bay of the turtle- doves," recalling the flocks that pause here each spring before flying on. Another combines the Arabic words marza and memi, meaning "harbor" and "small." The Arabs also left tangible lega- cies: they introduced citrus cultivation, reclaimed fields, completed the aqueduct of Torre Xibini, and built the saltworks and wells that still i r r i g a t e t h e c o u n t r y s i d e today. Anyone visiting Marzame- mi should not miss the local flavors: bottarga, tuna belly, and cured tuna mosciame are specialties, alongside smoked swordfish. From the land come yellow netted melons, cantaloupe, sun-dried toma- toes, cherry and date vari- eties, and the prized Pachino t o m a t o . A g l a s s o f N e r o d'Avola pairs naturally with these dishes. And, in true Sicilian seaside tradition, almond granita or a refresh- ing cremolata rounds out the experience, sweetening not only the palate, but also the s p i r i t , e s p e c i a l l y w h e n enjoyed against the backdrop of a sunset over the sea. Marzamemi, a sparkling gem on the Sicilian waterfront TERESA DI FRESCO Simple but charming Marzamemi (Photo: Daliu80/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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