Description of the attraction
Favignana is the largest of the Aegadian Islands, located about 7 km west of the western coast of Sicily. The island has always been famous for its tuna fishing, and in recent years has gained recognition as a popular tourist destination - today it can be reached by hydrofoils that regularly depart from Sicily.
The total area of the butterfly-shaped Favignana is about 20 square kilometers. The main city of the island, bearing the same name, is located on a narrow isthmus connecting the two "wings". The eastern part of the island is predominantly flat, while the western part is dominated by a chain of mountains, the highest of which is Monte Santa Caterina (314 meters). At its top there is a fortress built by the Saracens and still used for military purposes (it is closed to the public). A number of smaller islets lie off the southern coast of Favignana.
In ancient times, Favignana was called Eguza, which means "island of goats". The current name of the island comes from the word Favonio, an Italian word for fen, a strong, gusty and warm wind. The first to colonize the island were the Phoenicians - they used it as a stopping point on their trans-Mediterranean trade routes. In 241 BC. during the First Punic War, off the coast of Favignana, a major naval battle broke out between the Romans and the Carthaginians. Two hundred Roman ships smashed the much larger Carthaginian fleet, sinking 120 enemy ships and capturing about 10 thousand people. The bodies of the dead were carried to the northeastern coast of the island, which was later named Red Bay because of the bloody color of the waves.
In the 4th century A. D. the inhabitants of Favignana were converted to Christianity. In the Middle Ages, the island came under the rule of the Arabs, and for some time served as a base for the Islamic conquest of Sicily. Then the Normans reigned there, who in 1081 built a number of fortifications. Even later, Favignana and the other Aegadian Islands were leased to Genoese merchants, and in the 15th century they were presented to a certain Giovanni de Carissima, who received the title "Tuna Baron".
The first to systematically catch tuna in the 17th century, found in abundance in the coastal waters of Favignana, were the Spaniards. In 1637, they sold the island to the Marquis of Pallavicino of Genoa, who helped found the city of Favignana around the Castello San Giacomo castle. In 1874, Pallavicini sold the Aegadian Islands to Ignazio Florio, the son of a wealthy industrialist, for two million lire. He invested heavily in the local economy and built a large canned tuna factory here. At the same time, the first quarries were opened on the island, the products of which were exported to Tunisia and Libya.
In the 20th century, Favignana faced difficult times: the island's economy fell into decay between the two world wars, and most of the population was forced to emigrate. The recovery of the tuna industry began only in the mid-1950s, and in the late 1960s, a rapid development of the tourism industry began, which continues to this day.
Favinna is famous for its calcarenite caves - limestone with grains of calcite, which the locals call tuff, and ancient tuna mining technology dating back to Arab times. There are few beaches on the island due to its geological structure, but tourists are attracted here by opportunities for diving and snorkeling. In addition, people often come to the island from the Sicilian city of Trapani as part of a one-day tour - the journey takes from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the means of transport.
