Monuments

F

lorio Palace. This majestic building was built nearby the harbour in 1876 by architect Giuseppe Damiani Almeyda. The objective was to show the power and glory of the Florio family, that used to spend in the island some time during the tuna fishing season (from end April to mid June). Nowadays the building hosts the city-police headquarters.

M

adrice. This is the main church, consecrated to the Virgin “Immacolata Concezione”. It was built upon request of Mons. Bartolomeo Castelli, Bishop of Mazara del Vallo. It has a Latin cross floor plant and was built in a lateral position with respect to the main square in order to enable a view of the sea and to be off the trajectory of cannon firing from S. James Fort (currently a state prison). Noteworthy art-crafts inside are a wooden cross from the VIII century and a marble statue of S. Antoine from Padua.

S

tabilimento Florio. This large complex, with picturesque chimneys, is an outstanding example of contemporary industrial architecture. Tuna fish processing and canning took place here until the beginning of the eighties!