Aegadian islands

Surface : 19 km2
Population : 4.600 inhab.
Alt. max. : 302m

Favignana is the main island of the Aegadian archipelago. Its coasts are cut by many splits. On the septentrional coast, Favignana - same name of the island - is the agricultural center and the fishing port of the archipelago (fishing of tuna especially).

The territory is mainly covered with cereals and vineyards. The boats carry out daily the connection with Trapani, it is an important tourist destination, still under development, thanks to its environment, with beautiful caves, splits and beaches.
Favignana owes its name to the Favonio wind. It is also called Egusa or Egadi, because of the goats which grazed there.

The island comprises many caves and splits, of which some lodged many ships. On the top of the island, the Fortress Saint Catherine was built by the Norman Roger II in the XIth century and was increased in 1655 by the Spaniards.
It is connected to the beach by ramparts. Condemned to exile lived there.

The island was inhabited since antiquity by peasants. Favignana is known like the place where Carthaginian and Roman fleets, in – 241, fought ending the Punic War that Rome won.

While arriving at Favignana, one immediately sees the palate of Florio, built in 1876 which became the symbol of the island. It belonged to the tonnara which gave work to the islanders, providing for fishing and conditioning tuna. It is today very a good example of industrial archeology.

See also :

• Aegadian Islands
• Hotels on the Favignana island