The salt pans of Trapani are part of the Saline di Trapani-Paceco Natural Reserve, one of the most pristine reserves in Western Sicily. In these salt pans, which extend for about 1000 hectares, human knowledge and tradition have harmoniously blended with nature for millennia to create Trapani Sea Salt. In fact, it is precisely here that we produce most of the product used by the entire Italian food supply chain, which then ends up on supermarket shelves, in delis, and in restaurants worldwide. These salt pans are the emblem of the perfect integration between tradition and the most modern technology applied to salt.
"Whoever truly wishes to discuss salt pans must come here, to the west of Sicily, to this coastal plain covering an area of approximately 1,400 hectares; very old salt pans, founded by the Phoenicians" (Voltaire).
The Ettore and Infersa Salt Pans are where we produce our integral sea salt, strictly hand-harvested using traditional methods passed down through generations. These salt pans represent a rare example of virtuous collaboration between man and nature. In fact, they are a highly evocative place where the "salt culture" has shaped the landscape, in full respect of the ecosystem, following a centuries-old tradition.
Isola Grande, locally known as Isola Lunga (Long Island), is the largest island in the Stagnone lagoon, covering an area of about 120 hectares and approximately 10 km in length. For many years, the salt pan on Isola Grande was the largest in the province and likely the first salt pan conceived with a logic of economies of scale and "industrialization." Here too, salt is harvested by machine and then transported to the facility via a barge, just as it was once done using "schifazzi" (In Sicily, in the Trapani area, a schifazzo was a three-masted lateen-rigged sailboat with an inclined foremast and a triangular main sail, used primarily for transporting salt and sponge fishing). Until the 1960s, the island was inhabited and cultivated. Recently, the owners decided to make it accessible again to visitors who enjoy trekking, birdwatching, and nature trails, with the opportunity to also enjoy the salt pans and the enormous benefits of salt through a "wellness" path, which is one of the most requested activities as it offers a unique experience thanks to immersion in the pools and direct contact with the salt crust.