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| The town of Trapani
Tourism in Trapani |
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The Nature Reserve of Salt Pans Going trhough the coastal road 21 that is parallel to the highway 115 it gets from Trapani to Marsala, it penetrates the Nature Reserve of Salt Pans of Trapani and Paceco. It is large 950 hectares: 700 are Reserve's and 250 Pre-reserve. The Reserve has been founded to protect this important area of west Sicily, that is characterized by shallow waters and rich in fauna and flora. The Salt Pans' origins go back to the Phoenicians who realized that geographic and climatic conditions of this area were very favourable so they installed some basins where sea waters come into and from where it extracts salt.
Copyright © Turi Calvino
Later under Federico II the of Salt Pans became very important since he mentioned them in the Costituzioni of Menfi (Menfi Costitutions) and made it property of the crown. During the times of Salt Pans had flourishing period which alternated with unproductive periods. But they have reached our times in their splendour and their productivity. The procedure through which from saltish water it gets to salt in grain production is long and, from a certain point of view, it is also complex. Water at first is placed in the so-called fridde (cold) because of their low temperature. The fridde are two external basins with greater dimensions than the others.
Copyright © Turi Calvino
Through a central mill, water passes in the vasu cultivu, that is a basin in which there are residuals of the precedent cultivation which are used as yeast. From here water flows until the ruffiana, that is the basin which is placed in the middle, between the vasu and the caure. In these last basins water becomes hotter than before and so it becomes salter and intense red coloured. At the end water resches the caseddri, that are salting basins where first strata of salt take form. In two particular periods of the year salt producted is amassed forming huts along the whole perimeter round the of Salt Pans which are covered by tiles toprotect them from the sun and from the wind. |
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