The Trabucchi of the Gargano Peninsula

At Last, The Trabucchi

The uniqueness of the Gargano Peninsula is truly captured by one specific and unusual feature. This is something you will see nowhere else in Italy. Furthermore it is a feature which is declining - only a few remain. These are the wild and fabulous trabucchi - the essence of the Gargano Peninsula and the Puglia way of life. Puglia still stands alone in Italy. - its lifestyle and its customs a little apart, a little different, uncompromising, unwilling to be fully assimilated.


The trabucchi are fabulous creations; - spindly, wired, their long tentacle arms reaching out into the sea, sometimes with their nets dangling ready to be raised or lowered into the frothing waters below. These trabucchi sit perched on the very edge of the rugged coast, leaning out into the ocean.
They are few and far between. Some are abandoned, some still operate. Their construction is thin and lean - tall poles, boarded walls, a meagre roof, Cables anchor their spindly pole masts back into the cliffs as they lean outwards over the ocean. It is a miracle they survive, for the Adriatic can whip up a mighty storm at times.


The trabucchi are not easily seen as you drive the highway on the cliffs above. Often they are down far below, tucked almost out of sight. But they are worth seeking out. There is at least one trabucco -  near to  Peschici, - which has a restaurant attached. Here the freshest of fish are served and the wine flows freely. This trabucco restaurant is again right on the rocky coastal cliffs - in parts suspended out over the water. On most days the sea spray will drift over you as you dine, and occasionally the waves will crash right over the decks.


This is wonderful architecture - at one with the land and the sea, made from weathered timbers and from the discarded poles of prior trabucchi, divided into booths and areas by suspended fishing nets, decorated by colourful buoys, There is little cover, - the restaurant is only open during the summer months and even then unseasonable storms can still roll in, temporarily closing the restaurant. But this is the time to come, when the sun shines warm and the sea seethes and boils but remains at bay.

Apparently the Phoenicians brought the trabucchi style of fishing to Italy, having seen this in China where similar still remain. In Vietnam, in India and no doubt elsewhere, you will see these fishing net contraptions over rivers and sea. Today the few that still stand in Puglia are protected, so will remain, However there will still always be weather and time to contend with.

Also Pip McCurdy's New Zealand posts:

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Peschici on the Gargano Peninsula

Peschici Coastal Charm

The small town of Peschici sits on a rocky outcrop jutting into the Adriatic on the Gargano Peninsla. The houses of Peschici sprawl across this hostile cliff-top and spill in tiers down the terraced cliff face below. From the streets you will see on the horizon the islands of Croatia - the closest only 32 kilometers away.

Peschici is a stunningly beautiful fishing village which tumbles down its rocky hillside. It is reminiscent in many ways of the villages of the Sorrentine Peninsula, in its rocky outcrops and steep cliff faces. However Peschici is different in that it is still essentially a fishing village rather than a tourist resort.



Whilst the numbers do swell in the summer months the streets are never overcrowded and as the peak of the season passes, the numbers quickly drop away again.







Around Peschici the Gargano national parks spread out to the north and south creating carpets of green forestry broken by the promontories and coves which dot the coast. The juxtaposition of white-washed Italian villages fringed by verdant green forests creates the variety and contrast which the Gargano Peninsula is known for.













In Peschici itself, the narrow streets twist and wind up the hillside to the apex where the views stretch out in all directions. Peschici has a long and ancient history. A nearby cave has traces of prehistoric inhabitants and nearby also, are the ruins of one of Italy's most ancient abbeys. On this hilltop remain the walls of a sturdy castle, and these walls are incorporated into the houses, shops and cafes below.

This is a Norman castle and bridge tower, dating from the eleventh century. It marks the heart of the village, and the churches and white washed houses crowd around the cobbled streets and courtyards at its foot. Villagers and locals gather in the village square below the castle as each day ends and the warm sun rebounds off the cobbles. Laughter and chatter fill the warm twilight air as dusk falls and a shared meal is enjoyed.

Peschici with its glorious harbour, its sandy beaches and its historic Old Town is a gem to be discovered and enjoyed. It is small, - no more than a large village or a small town. It is true to its past but understands that its future is as much about the visitors that come as it is about the unpredictable sea in all its moods, which surrounds it.

Also Pip McCurdy's New Zealand posts:

On Blogspot, Pip McCurdy on the Road

Website: http://www.unusualstays.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Stay-Somewhere-Strange-273777766054597/