Ustica, a sea of history

Ustica Island is located northwest of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Over the centuries, the sea surrounding Ustica Island has been the main witness of maritime cabotage but also the main route for all distant trade.

During these exchanges of goods and culture, men have, voluntarily or involuntarily, left their mark on their path. It is specifically off the coast of Ustica that we find these vestiges of the past, which are part of a programme of protection and conservation enhancement program.

In 1990, Honor Frost, Gianfranco Purpura, Alessandro Fioravanti and Edoardo Riccardi contributed to the first archaeological route around Punta Gavazzi. In 2006, the Palermo Regional Council created an “underwater museum” by developing archaeological itineraries around Punta Falconiera and Cala del Leone.

In addition to the main archaeological sites, the Ustica seabed is dotted with valuable archaeological remains. Thanks to them we are able to identify the periods and peoples who have stayed on the island of Ustica.

Due the development and the application of methodologies and techniques based on various disciplines, the objective is to understand the environment and return it to the community.