Underwater itineraries in Sicily: underwater history in the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean is one of the most iconic seas in the world for its biodiversity, but not only that. It had a pivotal role between Europe and the Middle East. It was a place of wars, expeditions and trade. And that is what has made him a underwater museum, entirely to be discovered, witnessing the passage of hundreds of civilizations throughout history.
The project and the protection of submerged cultural heritage
The Mare Nostrum is a treasure chest filled with archaeological finds of incredible importance. For this very reason, from November 25 to 28, it was held in Paestum (SA) a conference aimed at presenting the European project Mediterranean Underwater Cultural Heritage. The latter aims to enhance the underwater archaeological sites of the Mediterranean, creating a itinerary that unites the coasts ofSouthern Italy to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Within the network presented by Ugo Picarelli, creator of the Exchange, are included Calabria, Campania, Apulia, Sicily, Greece, Israel, Egypt and Turkey. For the Sicily were presented some of the submerged archaeological heritages of the Egadi Islands, Pantelleria, Plemmirio Reserve and Ustica.
As quoted by Fabio Bruno, guiding the project are 4 common denominators: the documentation, the in situ enhancement, the conservation, the remote fruition and environmental sustainability. The current program aspires to the deseasonalization of Mediterranean coasts, aiming to increase tourism revenues by 20 to 30 million annually. We know well that in our sea it is possible to make Scuba diving nine months of the year. This, in addition to making it usable to visit significant relics, would increase the number of tourists even in the off-season.
The Sicilian Region’s SopMare and the project of sustainable tourism
In Sicily the idea of designing underwater archaeological routes was born by Sebastiano Tusa, a world-renowned archaeologist who led the Superintendence of the Sea of the Sicilian Region until 2018. In June 20 last year in Isola delle Femmine (PA), the S.UND.A.I. (Sustainable Underwater Archaeological Itineraries Project). Developed with the LAS-Laboratory of Underwater Archaeology of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the University of Padua, the S.UND.A.I. aims to Protect and make accessible underwater sites with zero impact. All this while avoiding the depredation of artifacts and wrecks on the seabed of our sea.
The aims of the project are to create a prototype underwater cultural itinerary sustainable with environmentally friendly materials. The trial will take place on Isola delle Femmine, in an area where artifacts dating back to the Roman and Byzantine ages have been found. In addition, the intention of the
SopMare is to give life to a network of underwater archaeological spots along the entire Sicilian coastline..
Where to dive in Sicily? The 23 underwater archaeological parks
Currently in Trinacria there are 23 underwater archaeological itineraries recognized by the Unesco Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. In this regard we share at this link
a video from the newspaper Sicily which recounts the Underwater Routes through images. Also
Sea Nature Sicily reports on its platform all sites categorized by difficulty, depth and type. We list them below:
- Punta Falconiera (35 m/difficulty: medium) Ustica,
- Punta Gavazzi (20 m/difficulty: easy) Ustica,
- Kalura (6 m/difficulty: easy also snorkeling) Cefalù,
- Mongerbino (30 m/difficulty: medium) Bagheria
- Cape Graziano (45 m/difficulty: medium and high) Filicudi,
- Basiluzzo (18 m/difficulty: easy also snorkeling) Panarea,
- Wreck of the Columns (27 m/difficulty: medium) Taormina,
- Islands of the Cyclops (22 m/difficulty: easy) Aci Castello,
- Wreck of the Amphoras (45 m/difficulty: high) Noted,
- Wreck of the Columns (8 m/difficulty: easy also snorkeling) Pachino,
- Marbles Wreck (9 m/difficulty: easy also snorkeling) Portopalo di Capo Passero,
- Gadir Cove (30 m/difficulty: medium) Pantelleria,
- Tramontana Cove (18 m/difficulty: easy) Pantelleria,
- Punta Li Marsi (24 m/difficulty: medium) Pantelleria,
- Punta Tracino (38 m/difficulty: medium) Pantelleria,
- Punta Tre Pietre (28 m/difficulty: medium) Pantelleria,
- Cape Boeo (10 m/ difficulty: easy also snorkeling) Marsala,
- Wreck of the Cannons (18 m/difficulty: easy) Favignana,
- Minnola Cove (30 m/difficulty: high) Favignana,
- Wreck of the Amphoras (18 m/difficulty: easy) San Vito lo Capo,
- Wreck of the Millstones (18 m/difficulty: easy) San Vito lo Capo,
- Kent (54 m/difficulty: high) San Vito lo Capo,
- Faraglioni of Scopello (18 m/difficulty: easy) Castellammare del Golfo.
Map from Sea Sicily and Nature
Each of these sites is provided with waterproof tags describing the dating, type, provenance, and use of the referenced artifact or relic. For some of the routes, the following have been produced special cards to be carried underwater useful for in-depth study on site.
In other cases, the new technologies to design underwater viewers wrist-mounted. These, by reaching out to the artifacts, allow the description and reconstructive photos of them to be seen on the screen. All this enriches the experience of visitors, literally immersing them in a new world of water and culture.
That of the sub is still an extreme sport and therefore reserved for a very very niche tourism. In fact, only those in possession of a diving certification can visit the underwater itineraries and exclusively accompanied by the experienced guide of a Diving Center.
For those who wants to enter this new tourism reality all that remains is to enroll in the appropriate courses to obtain a PADI certification. Among the best in Sicily we mention the Capo Murro Diving Center in Syracuse, right in the Plemmirio Reserve and the Under Hundred Diving Center of Marina and Roberto in San Vito lo Capo. But also the Blunauta Diving, Cape Milazzo. With dedication, professionalism and multiple experiences, they accompany novices and experts toward their passion for the sea.
The itineraries for those who “see with their hands”
With the routes proposed by the Sicilian region, we begin to talk about accessible tourism. In theCyclops Marine Protected Area in Acitrezza has been created an underwater itinerary for the blind.
Set at a depth of 18 meters, it allows those who “see with their hands” to descend via a guide rope and touch replicas of resin amphorae or anchors from different eras. You can delve into the findings through descriptive tags in Braille language.
All this represents aninitiative with considerable social value, which allows those who unfortunately cannot see, to be able to experience the sea through a multisensory experience.
Luca Russo