Museum of the Toannara di Scopello

The museum of the Tonnara di Scopello is dedicated to the tuna fishing past and offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the traditions and history of tuna fishing in the area.

The museum is open with limited hours, with a guide and at certain times. You can see utensils and drawings and photos of how everything was done.

The Tonnara was led by a rais , who organized the work, decided how to place the nets, and commanded the fishermen, called tonnarotti . The fishermen went out to sea humming the cialoma , a song of atonement, and took care of setting up the nets.

The miles-long nets were positioned to form a small island, a series of communicating chambers used to catch the tuna. The tunas, who entered the outer chambers and could not get back, were forced to go to the central chamber (the chamber of death). When it was time to collect the catch, the boats positioned themselves around this room, the only one with the ability to bring the tuna to the surface, and the fishermen began their slaughter.

Willem Vandenameele