NATURE RESERVE “FEMMINE ISLAND” (PALERMO)
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The Femmine Island Nature Reserve (or “The Outlying Island”) is the islet that extends three hundred meters off the coast of Palermo and that constitutes a municipality in its own right, including in its territory the foothills of the Pizzo Mollica and Raffo Rosso mountains.
Reachable by ferry from Palermo, several myths are linked to its toponym: the best known one revolves around the charm of the crumbling tower overlooking the islet, long believed to be a prison for women only (13 Turkish maidens). In reality, both the tower on the mainland (Inside Tower) and the one on the islet (Outside Tower) were part of the defensive system of coastal towers used in medieval Sicily. According to popular tradition the ancient name must have been “Insula Fimi,” or “Island of Euphemus,” named after the Byzantine governor Euphemus of Messina.
The village of Femmine Island is included in the REIMAR (Register of Mediterranean Fishing Identities and Maritime Villages) and is historically devoted to fishing, particularly for dolphinfish, with the use of traditional “cannizzi,” floating platforms. A tour of the village allows visitors to admire the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima delle Grazie (1850), the subject of the July 2 celebration.
The Femmine Island Nature Reserve, established by the Region in 1997 and entrusted to LIPU, was formed to protect the important heritage of flora and fauna on the island and under the sea, which includes numerous varieties of Mediterranean scrub (more than 120 species), migratory birds and nesting seagulls, which can be spotted during birdwatching activities, and a rich seabed, which can be explored with a special Underwater Itinerary.
The latter, just 5 minutes from the local marina, allows diving enthusiasts to admire the underwater treasures of the Femmine Island: archaeological relics from Greek and Roman times, such as food storage vessels to which, on land, correspond the processing sites (7 tanks for the production of the delicious Roman “garum” sauce, today’s anchovies’ colatura) and the remains of a Roman shipwreck from the 2nd century B.C., part of Sicily’s considerable underwater archaeological heritage.
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