Fabio Marino photographer - Trapani

The salt of Trapani is a gluttonous occasion for lovers of photography. The large tanks give the effects of different light pouring sensanzioni always unique. From a naturalist is a unique environment which, fortunately, is protected. E 'infatti a Nature Reserve. The pictures I made are based on salt pans of Trapani, Marsala and Paceco.

Le Saline di Trapani

The gaze scorre places salt, advancing between stretches of water property, crossed here and there by canals, windmills and mountains of salt overwhelmingly white. It is not only a description of a landscape, but an experience that involves the mind and imagination. The coast between Trapani and Marsala salines are more 'old Europe' s. It seems that date back to the arrival of the Phoenicians (800 BC). The saline until 1300 had been a strictly local character and is only at the end of the fourteenth century that became grounds for economic growth for the entire city.

But with the Aragonese saliniera industry had the highest development. In 1572 began a business relationship with Venice, which had lost Cyprus was forced to provide a valuable ore of Trapani. In the seventeenth century the Trapani salt through the Strait of Gibraltar and reached the Netherlands, England and Sweden. In 1865 along the coast between Trapani and Marsala 31 saline were grown for a total of about 800 hectares, producing 110,000 tonnes of which 80% was exported.

Unfortunately, the urban expansion and following the collapse of the market for sale determines' the burial of many saline. Fortunately, today, the salt industry, thanks to new markets, is in sharp shooting and demand exceeds supply.

But what are the salt and how do they work? The salt is a very orderly, with tanks aligned with each other and different only in size and color of the water. Are connected to the sea by channels of entry through which achieves the various tanks with steps.

The orders of the tub are four:

LE Friddi for their very low temperature and salinity of no more than 4 ° - 5 ° Bè. Bordering the sea and protected by a wall, known as "sleepers", 3 meters wide.

VASES OF WATER CRURA or RETROCALDE: at a level higher than that of the sea, are filled by pumping water from "fridda. Temperature and salinity are very similar to the first order of tanks.

Ruffian: This is the third order of tanks called "mediators." Their position is intermediate compared to other tanks and the dimensions are very small. Here the water is more 'dense and more' hot.

Caura: fourth row of tanks known as "hot" by evaporation, and the "sintin" ie tanks servant. In the first (hot) is that the water (24 ° - 26 ° Bè) ages for the deposition of sodium chloride. The sintin only have the task of facilitating the distribution of water in pools or salt "casedde". We are the salt crystallizes and is collected. Salt boxes are lined with wide-open 20-30 meters called "Ariuni", which is accumulated before being opened for processing.

More 'than any other work, the collection of salt is linked closely to changes of climate months ranging from March to October. The place is special and is inextricably linked to natural elements: water, earth, sun, wind. The result is a splendid combination of nature and human work.

It is no coincidence the salt pans of Trapani has become a nature reserve where unlike other industrial situations, the delicate balance is guaranteed by their employment of man. The tanks they need because of the continuous intervention of salt, which, with masterly skill, carousel and the flow of water runoff. On the contrary would be the death of all organisms and the resulting water rot. In the beautiful expanses of water is not unusual to waterfowl: Fratini, ducks, egrets, herons, flamingos and even the elegant and modest knight of Italy.

Who wants to enjoy the vision of these places will do well to obtain a good pair of shoes and binoculars. The show does not betray the expectations for those who, with the sacred and respectful silence, will go inside the majestic array of tanks.