Tonnara Foderà di Magazzinazzi

Tonnara Foderà di Magazzinazzi is one of most well preserved among all the tuna fisheries spread around the Sicilian costs. 

History

The Foderà family was known for the tuna fishing business over the past two centuries, as it owned other tuna fisheries in Sicily (Tonnara di Scopello, Tonnarella dell’Uzzo and Tonnara del Secco in San Vito Lo Capo) and in Libia (Tonnara di Marsa Zuaga together with the Prince Moncada di Paternò).

Tonnara Foderà di Magazzinazzi is located in the center of Castellammare’s gulf and it was built by the brothers Leonardo and Vito Foderá, two entrepreneurs of the time. The two transformed the activity in one of the most important tuna fishery in Sicily (after the well known tuna fishery of Favignana and Formica, in the Egadi island). Indeed the business brought 2000 tuna fishes per year and because of it’s success the place quickly became a point of reference for the studies of the sicilian  traditional way of fishing the tuna (mattanza).  

Tonnara Foderà di Magazzinazzi made up of different spaces:  a decorated house, with a mix of art nouveau and classicism, to host the family during the fishing season; six warehouses to keep the historical fleet of boats (we still have almost all of it); a courtyard surrounded by buildings made to arrange forty fishermens, skilled in the fishing of tuna, including a small chapel today under restoration. 

The property was then passed from father to sons until us. Today my family is involved in the restoration and preservation of this important Estate. The estate passed from father to sons until today, in fact Foderà’s family is still the owner of the property.

Today

Today is possible to rent the bedrooms seaview up in the ancient tower, with a spectacular view of Castellammare’s gulf; It is also possible to rent the main floor or the entire palace.

The venue is occasionally open to weddings, celebrations, team buildings, exhibitions.

At the bottom of the house there is a museum with the old nets and magnificent ancient boats, all classified, that were used in the past for tuna fishing.

Curiosity

From the upper level of the tower the ancestor of the arch. Leonardo Foderà checked with a telescope the activities of the other fisheries of Castellammares’ Gulf.

In 1903 Vito Foderá hosted the duke of the Abruzzi (a renowned member of Italian Royalty and close parent of the king) to understand himself how a tuna fishery works.