Tonnara of Vendicari
The Tonnara di Vendicari , also known as Bafutu , that is in ancient times of the Capo Bojuto , was a returning trap, that is a trap that fished tuna and the mackerel that after the mating season returned to the open sea.
Tuna traps have long been a fundamental activity for the economy of Sicily, as evidenced by the fact that in the same area where many other tuna traps stood, including which the tonnara of Santa Panagia, the tonnara of Avola, the tonnara of Marzamemi and the tonnara of Portopalo of Capo Passero. they dealt with the repair and transformation of the catch. The building was built in 1633, in an excellent position, in the center of the southern coast of Syracuse, an area where there were many other traps, including the trap of Santa Panagia, the trap of Vendicari, the trap of Marzamemi and the trap di Portopalo di Capo Passero.
Certain news of the trap of Vendicari or Bajuto only comes from 1600 when the activity of the trap of eastern Sicily was monopolized by the Nicolaci family. The Vendicari tuna fishing is interrupted with the landing of the allies during the Second World War, even if the activity had greatly reduced in previous years.
The trap is made up of two parts: the pedal , that is a wall of nets detached from the coast and extending to a depth of 70 meters and a length that can even reach 3 km, which has the purpose of interrupting the flow of tuna and conveying them to the capture chamber ; the island , an underwater building made up of networks ranging in size from 200 to 400 meters in length and 50 meters in width, on which openings called doors are made. The guard boats stop at the various gates and push the tuna from one chamber to the other up to the capture chamber, where the Rais starts the slaughter.
The ground building of the tonnara included, as well as a separate courtyard from the Torre Sveva through a perimeter wall, the tuna processing area, the warehouse and the houses of the tuna fishermen.
In the small island of Vendicari, just in front of the trap, there was the ' home of the Rais , wooden houses where he lived with his family and the homes of the owners, who had a brick house to stay there during the seasonal periods of activity of the trap.
