The salt pans or 'salines' of Trapani lie on the very western tip of Sicily outside the city of Trapani. Salt water from the sea fills the shallow 'paddy field' like saline pans. The water is allowed to evaporate under the scorching Sicilian sun and leaves a thick salt crust on the flat bottomed pans. The alt is then raked and shoveled into piles to drain the remaining water. The windmills ground the course salt 'flowers' into table grade salt or pumped water through timeless Archimedes screw pumps. (Archimedes was Greek Sicilian)
Salt production at Trapani dates back 2,700 years to the age of the Phoenicians when salt was essential for the preservation of food. Over 100,000 tons of salt a year were being produced by the end of the 19th century. However, severe floods in 1965 inundated the pans with mud and damaged many of the dykes that form the pans, Production is only a fraction of what it was in its hay-day, but at the end of summer huge piles of salt can be seen along the roads and out in the fields.
The area is now a very important nature preserve and resting point for birds migrating between Africa and Northern Europe.
I shot these in the late evening. Sunsets over the Salines are legendary. Unfortunately, my good wife was gnawing on her arm with hunger so we had to leave before the sky turned to gold, but I think I captured the some nice lighting. The first couple are worth downloading.
Comments or feedback shamelessly appreciated. Feel free to post your own memories or pics of the Salines or download and offer up your own PP / edits.
Thanks for looking.
Nice shots. We use so much salt, but it's bad for us, bad for roads, bad for cars. The list goes on.
Very interesting and beautifully documented. Thanks for sharing.
jerryc41 wrote:
Nice shots. We use so much salt, but it's bad for us, bad for roads, bad for cars. The list goes on.
What a frightful thought.
Terrific series, Phil! What a fantastic site for unique and eye-catching photos - for which you were well up to the task.
Nice photos--good job of documenting this process.
Looks like a place where a photographer could get over stimulated. Enjoyable to see this place through your lens.
Very interesting series. Thanks for sharing.
repleo wrote:
The salt pans or 'salines' of Trapani lie on the very western tip of Sicily outside the city of Trapani. Salt water from the sea fills the shallow 'paddy field' like saline pans. The water is allowed to evaporate under the scorching Sicilian sun and leaves a thick salt crust on the flat bottomed pans. The alt is then raked and shoveled into piles to drain the remaining water. The windmills ground the course salt 'flowers' into table grade salt or pumped water through timeless Archimedes screw pumps. (Archimedes was Greek Sicilian)
Salt production at Trapani dates back 2,700 years to the age of the Phoenicians when salt was essential for the preservation of food. Over 100,000 tons of salt a year were being produced by the end of the 19th century. However, severe floods in 1965 inundated the pans with mud and damaged many of the dykes that form the pans, Production is only a fraction of what it was in its hay-day, but at the end of summer huge piles of salt can be seen along the roads and out in the fields.
The area is now a very important nature preserve and resting point for birds migrating between Africa and Northern Europe.
I shot these in the late evening. Sunsets over the Salines are legendary. Unfortunately, my good wife was gnawing on her arm with hunger so we had to leave before the sky turned to gold, but I think I captured the some nice lighting. The first couple are worth downloading.
Comments or feedback shamelessly appreciated. Feel free to post your own memories or pics of the Salines or download and offer up your own PP / edits.
Thanks for looking.
The salt pans or 'salines' of Trapani lie on the v... (
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interesting series, beautiful shots, repleo.
Thank you all for your feedback and encouragement. I had a sort of 'writer's block' over the summer and haven't posted anything for awhile. Hopefully, your kind comments will give me the stimulus to get back out there on a more regular basis.
Thanks for looking.
Phil
Very good set and information..
You did good with these images.
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