Culture of Favignana Island. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

The lifestyle of Favignana inhabitants hasn’t changed a lot since the times when people explored the world by boats and electricity seemed impossible for humans. In fact, local settlements haven't changed since medieval times. There are still narrow intertwining streets which were built in order to puzzle enemies. There are still small cosy houses which bricks remember several generations of local fishermen. In short, local houses themselves are historical landmarks.

There is a monument to an elderly man in a suit of the 19th century near the city council on the main square. It is Ignazio Florio who left a mark in the history of the island. He owned a tuna reprocessing plant built by Florio family in the 17th century. The plant had innovative and modern equipment for those times. The plant brought enough money and Ignazio bought Favignana Island and all the other parts of the Aegadian Archipelago in 1876. The life of the local fishermen changed for the better because of Ignazio. So, the locals build a monument in honour of their patron.

The Isola Di Favignana will be a nice holiday destination for those who are interested in modern times, the industrial revolution and industry in general. The fact is that the factory of the Florio family, where were all tuna caught in the waters of the Aegadian Islands in the 17th century, is well preserved now. Of course, it doesn’t function anymore, but, nevertheless, many appliances, tools and machines are left untouched. And the building itself, built more than three centuries ago, is of great interest. In addition, the Florio factory is often used by local authorities as an exhibition space. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

One more important attraction on Favignava is the castle of Santa Caterina. The castle is located on the peak of Mount Santa Caterina. Its peak is 310 meters high and it provides amazing views of the island. The Castle was built in the 10th century by Saracens and it was besieged and destroyed several times. Later, the Saracens left the castle and new owners decided to expand the tower and build a castle. In the 15th century, Andreo Riccio, the ruler of Favignana, rebuilt the fortification again and it acquired the present look. The castle was built using local limestones and its name derives from the small church that Normans rose near the castle to honour Santa Caterina. Scientists believe that the castle was rebuilt from the scratch for several times. Now the fortress is quite well-preserved for its age.

Every person can visit the fortress for free. You can explore its full area: from the upper terrace to the underground prison. But you should be careful, the construction doesn’t have safe ladders and there are no fences on the upper observation decks. You can see not only the preserved rooms and corridors with the remains of antique furniture, doors and windows inside the fortress but also a real military radar which doesn’t function now. If you are tired of walking along the corridors of the fortification, come back to the capital and visit the Tuna Processing Museum. You will get new information about fishing on the island here.

There are several old churches on the island. Some of these cult buildings stand in its place for 3-4 centuries. If you haven't tired of tuna and its presence on the island, be sure to visit nearby Tonara island. It was something like a transhipment base for local fishermen for several centuries. A well preserved old plant of salt production, several medieval windmills are a good proof of it.