Trapani/Marsala (gro) Joseph (Giuseppe) Whitaker (1850 to 1936) had yet to see: that the Laguna della Stagnone between San Teodoro and Capo Lilibeo, as well as the island of Mozia and the salt marshes between Trapani and Marsala, would be placed under the special protection of Unesco as World Heritage Sites of Humanity. If it actually comes so far, the Sicilian-British ornitologist, archaeologist, wine producer and sportsman can at least watch the event as a life-size bust (image: Wikicommons) in front of the museum he donated on the islet of Mozia . Whitaker is still a popular Palermo figure today. Finally, he was one of the co-founders of US Palermo, of “Rosa Nero”, Palermo’s illustrious football club. – Before Christmas 2016, important steps have been taken in the matter of World Heritage: Sicily’s provincial and regional governments launched Trapani’s candidacy for World Heritage elevation.
Aurelio Angelini: “Understand the territory as a unit”.
Aurelio Angelini, Director General of the Foundation “Unesco Sicilia” said at a meeting with politicians and senior administrators in Trapani, he is convinced that the inclusion of the lagoon with the island Mozia and with the salt marshes will increase its value and importance. Moreover, it will strengthen the cooperation of the territories and entities affected by it he added. The lagoon with its islands, salt marshes and beaches extends about 30 kilometers along the coast between Trapani and Marsala. The elevation to the heritage of humanity, assured Angelini, will ensure that the elongated area is “even more understood as a unit.” Now, he said, it is necessary to accurately describe the territory and set out its high value .
Already under nature protection.
The Laguna della Stagnone between San Teodoro in the west and Cap Lilibeo in the east is the largest lagoon in Sicily. It is under nature protection. The water quality is excellent; the lagoon is used by several Italian universities for studies of marine fauna and flora. The islands offshore from the lagoon to the open sea have magnificent beaches, but may not be built on. Even on the land side of the lagoon there are only a few small hotels. For vacation villas and houses, as well as for vacation apartments, only buildings that have existed since time immemorial may be used (which in many cases adds to the special charm of the offerings).
Salt was extracted there already 3000 years ago.
Archaeologists have found evidence that salt was extracted on the coast between Trapani and Marsala 3000 years ago. The origin of the salt flats most probably goes back to the Phoenicians, to the hardworking seafarers who traveled the Mediterranean from today’s Lebanon and Syria, setting up bases and colonizing the island in places. The first written evidence of the existence of the salt flats dates back to the 1st century AD from the pen of Pliny the Elder.
Blinding white ripens the salt.
Especially picturesque windmills make the salt flats. The windmills are used to pump the water into the basins of various depths, and also to finely paint particularly coarse salt that “ripens” in dazzling white mounds (photo: Ismail Al-Siqilli). The Sicilians swear by “their” salt; many islanders living abroad take a few kilos of salt from the salt works of Trapani, Paceco or Marsala with them to the north every time they visit their homeland. On and in the salt pans between Trapani and Marsala, about 100,000 tons of salt are extracted per year. In the 1930s, this figure was twice as high. Klappt it with the world cultural heritage, should the turnover rise again.
With the original layout of a Phoenician city.
Mozia in the middle of the lagoon with its Whitaker Museum is indeed a small (only about one square kilometer) island. But it has it in itself. It awaits with the foundation walls of a complete Phoenician city. That makes this island absolutely unique. Joseph Isaac Spadafora Whitaker, as the British Sicilian (or Sicilian Briton) was called in full, recognized this uniqueness, acquired the island around 1900 and developed it for the general public and made it accessible. The foundations of the cemetery belonging to the former city, the necropolis, are also preserved, as well as the walls of the harbor, which was probably built about 700 years before the birth of Christ.