The charming village of Marzamemi
- Start your trip to the Val di Noto from here.
- Stroll through the streets rich in history and culture
- Relax at one of the beautiful local beaches
Introduction
Are you looking for a small seaside village that offers relaxation and culture? Look no further! This charming village, located on the southeast coast of Sicily, is in fact a hidden gem, ready to be discovered. Marzamemi is known for its tuna fishing.
Today its tuna fishery serves as an open-air museum and cultural center, highlighting the history and tradition of a renowned fishing industry.
But Marzamemi is not only history: it also boasts beautiful beaches, with crystal-clear waters and excellent gastronomy, full of delicious local dishes.
Whether you want to spend your days sunbathing on the beach or exploring the village’s cultural offerings, Marzamemi always has something particularly interesting to offer everyone.
Key Points
Marzamemi
Marzamemi is a seaside village, a hamlet of Pachino, whose name is said by some sources to derive from the Arabic “Marsà al hamen,” meaning “Bay of the Turtledoves.” In fact, this area represents an obligatory passage point for small birds during migration. Until a few decades ago, the economy was based on fishing and, even earlier, tuna fishing. For several centuries, in fact, a tuna fishery implanted in the early 1600s was active, in time becoming the second most important tuna fishery in Sicily. The inhabitants of Marzamemi, called Marzamaroti, are originally from the towns of Syracuse and Avola. In addition to seafaring activities, small-scale shipbuilding aimed at building wooden boats was also well established in the village.
With so much to see and do, Marzamemi is truly a must-see destination. And speaking of the tonnara, let’s explore this historic landmark.
Tonnara of Marzamemi
The Marzamemi tuna fishery was erected in the 17th century under Spanish rule. In 1655 it was acquired by the Calascibetta barons of Piazza Armerina, and in the second half of the 19th century ownership passed to the Nicolaci family of Noto.
During the 18th century the Prince’s Palace, the church dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the fishermen’s cottages were built. The tuna factory is characterized by three large entrances that allowed the sheltering of boats loaded with tuna inside the so-called loggia. In the early 1900s, a factory for processing tuna in oil was built on the north side, consisting of boilers and associated chimneys. The only remaining smokestack, which survived the bombings of World War II, can still be seen today. The tuna factory remained active until 1954.
What to see in Marzamemi
Are you ready to explore the charming town of Marzamemi? There are many things to see and do.
Start with a visit to the Tonnara di Marzamemi, an ancient tuna processing factory. Don’t miss the chance to admire the traditional fishermen’s houses and the elegant Villadorata Palace.
Enter the beautiful Church of San Francesco da Paola. Finally, stroll through the lively Piazza Regina Margherita, where you can absorb the local atmosphere and sample some delicious Sicilian delicacies.
Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel - 1752
The ancient tuna trap church, consecrated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was built at the behest of Baron Bernardo Calascibetta, owner of the trap. Work began in 1748 and ended in 1752. Inside the church were three altars, a central one with a statue of Our Lady of Pompeii, and two side altars with statues of St. Anthony of Padua and St. Francis of Paola, patron saint of Marzamemi.
Above the high altar was a painting depicting Our Lady of Mount Carmel holding the Child Jesus. The church remained open for worship until 1948; that same year,in fact, due to exceptional weather events, the roof collapsed and the church was no longer usable. Renovation work began in 2020 to use the church as the Museum of the Sea.
Church of St. Francis of Paola - 1948
The Church of St. Francis of Paola was inaugurated and opened for worship on January 4, 1948. It consists of a single nave over five bays and a polygonal apse. A characteristic rose window stands out on the façade. St. Francis of Paola, protector of sailors, is the patron saint of Marzamemi. The relationship that binds the village to its patron saint is a people’s experience that strengthens the locals’ sense of belonging and results in a festival celebrated on the Monday following August 15,which is very well attended. Since the early 1900s, unfailingly every year, the Simulacrum of the Saint is carried on the shoulders through the streets of Marzamemi and also in an evocative procession by sea on a boat, where the Sailor’s Prayer is read and due honors are paid to the Saint.
The Palace of the Princes of Villadorata
The Villadorata Palace, with its striking architecture and intact original charm, dominates Regina Margherita Square and is considered one of the symbols of the village.
The palace was built around 1750 on the initiative of Baron Bernardo Calascibetta and stands on the west side of Piazza Regina Margherita, opposite the old fishermen’s dwellings. The building has a simple facade and an arched entrance portal. On the lower floor are warehouses that were used for storing goods and sheltering functional equipment for the tuna fishery. Through an open space, connected to the Loggia degli Scieri, access is possible to the upper floor, used as the owners’ residence. In the mid-19th century the building was acquired by the Nicolaci family of the Princes of Villadorata.
With its rich history and remarkable architecture, the Villadorata Palace is a must-see attraction in Marzamemi.
Feast of St. Francis of Paola
Festivities in honor of the patron saint, protector of seafarers, occur every year on the first Monday in August after the Feast of the Assumption.
The expenses were once covered by both the port company, which considered St. Francis of Paola, for pay purposes, as a member of the company itself, and the donation, by the owner of the tuna fishery, of a tuna, the largest that was caught on that day. Accompanied by the band, the statue of the saint leaves the church and makes its way to the Balata and the new pier, which was dedicated precisely to the patron saint of the seafarers of the Italian nation and where the blessing of all boats takes place.
On one of them, provided by vote of the owner and decorated with palm trees and flowers, the statue is hoisted, which, with a procession of boats and fishing boats greeting its passage with sirens, is carried in procession over the sea. Before returning to land to continue the procession through some of the main streets of the village, the sailor’s prayer is recited and the victims of the sea are remembered: a wreath in honor of the fallen is thrown into the water.
To conclude, Holy Mass was celebrated in a Queen Margaret Square packed with the faithful.
Now, we move on to the next section and discover the breathtaking beauty of the ‘balata’ square.
Largo Balata - Loggia degli scieri
The Largo Balata takes its name from the stone slabs, called balate in Sicilian, with which the space in front of the tuna fishery, in front of the small harbor, is appropriately paved in order to both facilitate the hauling of boats and make it easier to land the tuna caught.
The Loggia degli Scieri is a single large room used for the shelter of the tuna boats that were hauled directly out to sea from here. The facade of the Loggia is characterized by the three large gates that allowed the entrance and exit of scieri and muciare; these typical boats represented the symbols of Marzamemi’s local economy and culture. In the early 1900s the tuna fishery complex was completed with the construction of the camperia; inside the Loggia the first phase of tuna processing was carried out: by means of winches, after being washed, they were hung by the tail from special beams called appindituri, where they remained at least twenty-four hours to bleed.
Camperia - 20th Century
The Camperia was used by the Nicolaci family in the early 1900s as a factory for the production of tuna in oil. The tuna was cooked in two furnaces equipped with chimneys of which (to) today only the smaller one remains; the larger one, in fact, collapsed due to Anglo-American air raids during World War II. The large-scale factory occupies the area of the “big field” bounded on the west by Viale Jonio, overlooking the Balata marina, on the north by Via Marzamemi and on the east by Via Letizia, which flows into Piazza Regina Margherita.
Alleys and courtyards
Walking through the alleys that branch off from the Regina Margherita Square, one has the feeling that time has stood still. Everything still speaks of the intrinsic relationship between man and fishing; the low fishermen’s cottages made of sandstone corroded by sun and wind, the narrow streets made up of basalt, the stuffed chairs with wooden tables, and the Ionian Sea in the background… A unique setting.
Courtyard of the Rais - 18th Century
The Courtyard of the Rais is a small clearing, paved with limestone basalt, surrounded by the fishermen’s cottages and in front of the house of the Rais (head of the tuna fishery, responsible for the tuna fishermen and the success of the mattanza). The location of the house of the Rais was strategic to the control of the passage of fishing boats because, in the back, the house faced directly onto the sea.
What to see nearby
If you’re looking for breathtaking natural beauty around Marzamemi, you won’t want to miss the Vendicari Faunal Oasis Oriented Nature Reserve and Calamosche Beach.
This protected nature reserve offers visitors the chance to explore a breathtaking coastline with crystal clear waters and pristine beaches.
Other beaches nearby that are definitely worth a visit are San Lorenzo and Spinazza beaches: both offer the chance to sunbathe and enjoy the Mediterranean.
The Salt Pans of Marzamemi
Salt extraction from the Marzamemi salt pans was functional for the preservation of bluefin tuna caught in the local tuna fishery. The salt pans remained in operation until the early 1960s. During the period of their activity, in the feeding channels connected with the sea, some rare fish species found their natural habitat, such as the marzamarieddu, a small fish that later, as a result of the intense anthropization of the place and the decommissioning of the salt pans, disappeared altogether. Beginning in the 1970s, the salt pans, in the summertime, when the bodies of water dried up, were used by young people in the village as soccer fields. All that remains of these now disused salt pans is the large pond, which in the winter season becomes a passage point for various migratory bird species, including pink flamingos.
L'Isolotto Brancati
Delightful natural island, small in size, which, due to its location a few meters from the coast and the particular structure of the block of flats that stands there, has over time become one of the symbols of Marzamemi. Since the early decades of the 20th century, Prof. Raffaele Brancati, a doctor from Pachino and distinguished chair of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Catania, obtained the state concession of the islet. The latter had his summer residence built on the islet, a characteristic red-burgundy building, where he often used to host his cousin, the famous Pachinese writer Vitaliano Brancati, who drew from that suggestive place a source of poetic inspiration. Toward the end of the 1930s, the state concession of the islet became property, so the place took on the name Isolotto Brancati.
The Latomie of Marzamemi
The latomie of Marzamemi are among the largest open-pit quarries from the pre-Hellenistic period in all of Sicily, from which the ancient Greeks extracted large blocks of calcarenite to erect temples or other buildings. Today the area of the latomie lies almost entirely submerged due to rising sea levels over the past millennia. The location of the quarries close to the shoreline is explained by the choice of transport system by boats. The geometric cuts in the rock attest to workings conducted on several overlapping levels, a sign of intensive and continuous use over time. Scattered almost everywhere on the plane of the latomia, or stacked close to the breakwater, hundreds of calcarenite blocks can still be observed.
Rudini's Mill - 1897
A few hundred meters from Marzamemi, in contrada Lettiera, is the prestigious oenological establishment Palmento di Rudinì . The Palmento was erected in 1897 at the behest of Antonio Starrabba marquis of Rudinì, descendant of the Starrabba princes of Giardinelli and founders of Pachino. It is an example of industrial archaeology of relevant importance in that, at the time, it was a very technologically advanced structure, comparable to the wine factories that the Florios had built in western Sicily. Characteristic is the monumental underground cellar that was used to keep the temperature of the must constant; from here, via long enoducts, the wine was transferred to the ships moored in Porto Fossa. In 2010, after impressive restoration work, the plant became a multipurpose center with an attached Ecomuseum, where archaeological and anthropological finds from the area are on display.
Beaches
This corner of Sicily that frames Marzamemi is dotted with enchanting beaches. North of the village are the beaches of Spinazza, San Lorenzo, Vendicari and Calamosche. Heading south, on the other hand, one can discover the beaches of Marinella, Cavettone, Vulpiglia and Morghella. Arriving in Portopalo we find the beach of Scalo Mandrie and the small beach of Capo Passero Island. Followed by other beaches to the Isola delle Correnti, the southernmost point in Europe and a watershed between the Ionian and Mediterranean seas. Continuing further we encounter the beaches of Carratois, Punto Rio, Costa dell’Ambra, Granelli and Porto Ulisse.
Vendicari
The Oriented Nature Reserve “Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari” is important not only for the presence of vast wetlands, a resting place for various species of migratory birds, but also for the ancient tuna fishery, the medieval tower and archaeological areas dating back to the Byzantine period. North of the reserve is the beach of Calamosche, nestled between two rocky headlands that offer visitors unexpected beauty. Numerous ravines, sea caves and small bays can be admired in the marvelous scenery. Driving along the Pachino-Noto Provincial Road, at km 10 you will find the main entrance to the Reserve and at km 15 the sign “Calamosche Beach.”
San Lorenzo Beach
Don’t miss this beautiful Beach, where you can sunbathe and take a refreshing swim in the clear blue sea. This beach offers a combination of rocky and sandy areas, perfect for exploring and finding your ideal spot to enjoy the Mediterranean sun and climate.
The water is turquoise and crystal clear, and the shallow depth makes it ideal for families with children.
Take a look at the chart below to get a better idea of what San Lorenzo Beach has to offer. From water activities to relaxation, there is something for everyone.
The best time to visit is during the summer months when the weather is warm and the sea is at its most inviting, but in all months of the year it retains a truly unique attractiveness and charm.
Now that you have all the details about San Lorenzo Beach, it’s time to move on to the next beautiful place along the coast: the Spinazza Beach.
Spinazza Beach
After the beautiful sandy coast of San Lorenzo, it’s time to head south to Spinazza Beach. This beach is a must-visit for anyone looking for a peaceful and enjoyable vacation with its crystal clear waters and breathtaking views.
In addition to simply relaxing on the beach and soaking up the sun, Spinazza Beach also offers many beach activities such as beach volleyball, paddleboarding, and kayaking. There are many opportunities to explore the underwater world and discover the vibrant marine life for those who enjoy diving.
Whether you are traveling alone, with family, or with friends, Spinazza Beach is a great choice for an unforgettable experience.
Activities
Services
Conclusion
So, this is a wrap up of your tour of Marzamemi! You have seen some of the most beautiful sights this charming fishing village has to offer and hopefully gained an appreciation for its rich history and culture.
The Tonnara di Marzamemi is a must-see attraction with its stunning architecture and fascinating history.
But don’t forget to explore the rest of the village, from the picturesque streets lined with traditional houses and stores to the beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean.
And if you are looking for even more adventure, there are many other attractions in the surrounding area to explore.
So, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and head to Marzamemi for an unforgettable experience!
Frequently asked questions
What is the history of Marzamemi and how did it develop into a popular tourist destination?
Marzamemi’s history dates back to Phoenician times, later becoming a fishing village. Its cultural and economic importance grew with the tuna industry. Today it is a popular tourist destination due to its charming atmosphere, beaches and delicious seafood.
Are there any local festivals or events that take place in Marzamemi throughout the year?
You will be pleased to know that Marzamemi hosts a variety of local events and cultural celebrations throughout the year. Don’t miss the food and wine, film-related, and music festivals, which are especially popular and provide an excellent opportunity to experience local culture.
What are some recommended restaurants or cafes to try in Marzamemi?
Looking for a great dinner in Marzamemi? Go to La Cialoma for fresh fish and a breathtaking view. Taverna del Pescatore is a classic choice for traditional Sicilian dishes. And don’t miss the delicious pizza and pasta at Il Delfino Rosso. Enjoy!
Is it possible to take a boat tour or fishing excursion from Marzamemi?
Yes, there are many options for boat trips and fishing in Marzamemi. You can explore the beautiful coastline, go snorkeling or even try your hand at offshore fishing. There is no shortage of water activities to enjoy!
What are some nearby beaches or natural attractions worth visiting while in Marzamemi?
Looking for beach recommendations? Head to the nearby Vendicari Nature Reserve for beautiful views and nature observation. Outdoor activities such as hiking and birdwatching are popular here, making it a great escape for those seeking freedom.
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