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Photo from
the Tonnara in Commune di Bonagia near Trapani. The gastronomy of Trapani
offers a variety of fresh seafood. |
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In the village of Bonagio near
Trapani and Erice, is located la tonnara, which offers an incredible history
about this fishing village renowned for its method of catching migrating tuna
into a series of nets. The people would inhabit the village during the tuna
season; when the tuna arrived (they're migratory fish) the men would take to
the sea, stringing nets that hung down from the surface like curtains,
forming a corridor that guided the tuna into a final net with a bottom strung
between the boats or in an inlet. Once the school was in this "chamber
of death"the men would pull the net to the surface, bringing the tuna
with it, and the mattanza -- slaughter -- would begin, the sea running red as
the villagers gathered much of the animal protein they would need to survive
the coming year. The traditional tonnara villages
have fallen into decline, a victim of over fishing by Japanese commercial
fleets that operate out at sea with high tech equipment thus depriving Sicily
of this resource. The tonnare was the processing facility that packed the
tuna to be sent throughout Europe and the world. The local salt mines of
Narbonne was used to
preserve the catch.
Now, the tonnare in Bonagio has been closed and converted into a beautiful
time share resort. It is worth a visit along this beautiful coastal Sicilian
town. Take a swim in the Mediterranean |
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There are
three islands, collectively the
Isola Egadi, off the Sicilian coast from Bonagio and Trapani that
participate in the
La Mattanza, the tonnara hunt. Visit the Isola Egadi
web site and read a new book about the La Mattanza written by
Theresa. Try
Tuna recipes., but make sure it is Italian tuna. |
