Former Florio Tuna Fishery of Favignana

Former Florio Tuna Fishery of Favignana and Formica

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The Former Florio Tuna Fishery of Favignana and Formica

The Former Florio Tuna Fishery of Favignana and Formica is an old “di andata” “di andata” tuna fishery, one of the largest in the Mediterranean. It was here that Ignazio Florio, at the end of the 19th century, invented the revolutionary method of preserving tuna and had the adjoining facility built.

Today, this jewel of industrial architecture houses a museum, equipped with multimedia rooms and video testimonies related to the mattanza and the tuna fishery. In addition, an antiquarium area houses archaeological finds from the archipelago, some of which are linked to the Battle of the Egadi Islands.

Ex Stabilimento Florio delle Tonnare di Favignana e Formica

The former Florio delle Tonnare plant of Favignana and Formica is an ancient tonnara (a traditional fishing system for tuna), one of the largest in the Mediterranean Sea. It was here that Mr Ignazio Florio, by the end of the 19th century, created the revolutionary method of preservation of tuna, and built his famous plant. Today, this precious example of industrial architecture guests a museum, provided with multimedial rooms, where interesting video tell habits and customs of the ancient tonnara and of the traditional Mattanza (the final stage of tuna fishing). Furthermore, a dedicated area keeps some archaeological underwater finds coming from the archipelago, some of which related to the Battle of the Egadi.

(credit photo Samuele Silva, Filippo Mannino, Erika Chaubert Studer, Renato Alongi)