the trabucchi coast

“The traveler’s gaze is constantly drawn to these singular man-made structures, set between land and sea. Astounding fishing machines that shrewdly defy the might of the Adriatic but never lacking respect for nature. Structures that fascinate the observer because they evoke strength and fragility, ingenuity and simplicity in the materials used. ” Antonio di Chiacchio

The sequence of trabocchi can be spied with the naked eye, except for one or two hidden by bluffs. They dot the contour between land and sea that separate the waters from the looming hillside with its mantle of the Mediterranean scrub, rolling down into a shoreline cliff. At first sight, the most obvious sections that make up these fishing machines on stilts are a footbridge connecting the trabocco to dry land; the platform which holds the tackle for hoisting the net; the cabin housing equipment for fishing and for trabocco maintenance; the antennas that jut from the platform to support the net; the platform’s surrounding grid structure, which gives it strenght and stability to the building, especially when seas are stormy; and finally, the fishing net, the biggest part of the entire construction … “

Languages: English and Italian

Edition: 2022