Looking for a place frozen in time and particularly evocative? Fasten your seatbelts and head to the southernmost tip of eastern Sicily. The destination: Marzamemi.
A picturesque seaside village nestled between Pachino and Noto, in the province of Syracuse. Its name? A mystery! Apparently, it means “bay of turtle doves” in Arabic. Who knows, perhaps turtledoves have a penchant for seaside holidays, as they migrate to this area in spring.
The undisputed star of this town is its tuna fishing. For centuries it was the second most important in Sicily after Favignana. Today, however, the nets are no longer hoisted and the giant tuna are no longer caught: the historic tuna fishery (closed after the war) has been turned into a tourist complex, but it still offers a cultural insight into the ancient art of slaughtering.
Although the local economy still revolves around fishing and tuna processing, Marzamemi is now a “do nothing at all” paradise. Stroll among the fishermen’s cottages, which look like something out of a seafaring storybook, and be enchanted by Piazza Regina Margherita. An open-air salon where you could meet a royal… or at least visit his palace (that of the Prince of Villadorata).
Speaking of celebrities, did you know that Marzamemi has featured in many films? Oh yes, directors such as Salvatores, Tornatore and the Taviani brothers were so impressed by the village that they used it as a set for their movies. So, as you wander around, keep an open mind: you never know, there might be a talent scout around the corner.
And after so much culture, how about a dip in the blue? The beaches around here are some of the most beautiful in Sicily, with waters so crystal clear you can see fish playing hide and seek. And if you are more of a “watcher” than a “diver”, take a trip to the islands of Marzamemi, where there is a charming little red villa owned by the family of doctor Raffaele Brancati, cousin of the writer Vitaliano Brancati.
Photo credits: Alfio Garozzo, Michele Ponzio, Paolo Gallo
