SORVEGLIARE PER DIFENDERE, DIFENDERE PER PRODURRE. TORRI COSTIERE E COMPLESSI PER LA TRASFORMAZIONE DEL PESCE IN SICILIA

Abstract

The sea has long been one of the primary sources of sustenance, economic gain, and strategic interest for the peoples who have inhabited Sicily since ancient times. Along the island’s coasts, the vestiges of former tonnare can still be found today. These facilities were dedicated to tuna fishing and to the subsequent processing and preservation of its products. In addition to the tonnare, a further defining feature of the Sicilian coastal landscape is the presence of towers. These are classified as watchtowers, communication towers, or defensive towers, depending on their function and location. Constructed systematically from the fifteenth century onwards, these structures are now often camouflaged within the environment or absorbed into urban areas. The present study aims to investigate the presence and functional organization of coastal towers within or near the marfaraggi. These onshore facilities are associated with the tonnare. A further objective is to examine the relationship between these two architectural types. Both played a significant role in the past in safeguarding and defending the island’s maritime resources. Today, however, many of these structures are in decay and neglect, often lacking restoration or adaptive reuse.