A Trabocco on the Adriatic Coast of Abruzzo

This species of Pine is commonly used in Gargano; often named as the point of origin in Italy for the Trabocco. During the 18C Gargano was sparsely populated and due to the area's maritime conditions the local fishermen strived to develop a new way of fishing that didn't require going out to sea.

The rocky nature of the coastline from Ortona down to Gargano provides a perfect habitat for many species of edible fish. So then, why go out to sea when a living can be made directly from the shoreline? The heart of the Trabocco consists of a very large net supported by long wooden poles which can be manoeuvred as required by two to four fishermen. The net is usually positioned across the prevailing current which on the Adriatic coast flows either from the North East or the North West and the net is maintained at a depth of around six metres. From the high vantage point of the Trabocco's decking a fisherman acting as observer can see shoals of fish swimming in the crystal clear sea and direct the manoeuvring and raising of the net so as to trap them. The net is very heavy and so the fishermen use a complex system of winches to raise it.

The use of Trabocchi along the Italian Adriatic coast dates back to the 18th century

From Ortona down to Vasto there are many Trabocchi giving rise to the name for this stretch - 'Costa dei Trabocchi'. Along the coastline of the Gargano peninsula, where they are called 'Trabucchi', these amazing 'fishing machines' are now protected by the Gargano National Park Authority.

In 1980 a storm destroyed the Trabocco at Punta Tufano on the coast at Rocca San Giovanni just south of Ortona. In 2006 it was lovingly rebuilt using traditional materials and construction methods by Rinaldo Verì a descendent of the original Verì brothers known as the Traboccanti (Trabocco builders).

The operation of a Trabocco is reasonably easy to understand. The heart of the operation is obviously the net which is lowered into the sea and then at the appropriate point in time, when the net is hopefully brimming with fish, it is then raised. But how? The net is suspended on fixed beams but the ropes that hold the net are on pulleys. The ropes ultimately gather at the centre of the Trabocco platform where there is a very large winch.

The winch is in the form of a capstan with four rotation spars. By turning the winch the fisherman can lower and raise the net. There is a problem with the great size of the net though, can you guess what it is? Since the net is so large and can only be either raised or lowered, how on earth do you go about removing the fish from the centre of the net? The answer comes in the form of a second much smaller net that can be manouvered both up and down and backwards and forwards thus being used to 'scoop' the fish from the main net and bring them to the platform.

Twenty three years ago the Uk band All About Eve recorded an album of the same name which featured the song Martha's Harbour. The music video above is is a 'pretty terrible' cover of that fabulous song - my apologies to Julianne Regan! But thanks anyway for writing a classic. The main Trabocco seen in the video is the one at Punta Tufano. If the weather is favourable you can see the Trabocco in action complete with video from cameras that show you exactly what is happening under water. The visitor centre houses a wealth of information relating to this ancient fishing technique including books, photographs and relics. At the end of the visit it is usually possible to 'sample the catch'.    Buon degustazione!!

The Strange Case of the Stranded Whale!

A Fin Whale (Balaenoptera Physalus) beached at Vallevò

A strange event occurred on the 16th of August 1960. At Punta Tufano, also known as Punta della Balena, two fishermen went out to sea in their small boat to try and catch something to eat. The sea was flat calm and crystal clear there wasn't the slightest breeze to disturb the water. Cesare Annecchini and Ettore Verì noted some seagulls diving into the water indicating the presence of shoals of fish. As they prepared their nets Ettore noticed a great dark mass in the depths. Cesare hoped that it was a very large shoal of fish. But while the two friends, not entirely convinced by this idea, pondered on what else it could be they observed the dark mass slowly rise to the surface - it was an enormous Fin whale!

They immediately set off for the nearest land mass; and the whale followed them. Someone on shore noticed what was happening and in no time the shore line was crowed with people staring at the unbelievable scene of a huge whale advancing on the tiny fishing village of Vallevò. Cesare and Ettore made it to shore and the whale unfortunately ran aground and couldn't free itself.

The Fin Whale which was 16 metres long and weighed around 25 metric tonnes eventually died and after some days the local authorities towed it out to sea. By the time the photo above was taken the whale was turning over onto its side and beginning to decay. The photo to the left was taken from the opposite direction showing one part of the whale's tail fin in the air. Cesare and Ettore are standing on the whale's flank - Ettore Verì is nearest the camera. Ettore's grandson was the one who took the initiative to rebuild the Trabocco at Punta Tufano and to convert it into a visitor centre.

News of the event flew across Italy and across the seas to many parts of the world where Abruzzese emigrants were amazed to see their home village made famous by a Fin whale.

One wonders why the locals didn't just eat the whale - that's a lot of protein to be sitting offshore simply going to waste. Apparently it never occurred to them because at Vallevò they don't usually go fishing for whales!

Punta della Balena - Cesare Annecchini and Ettore Verì

A Northern Right Whale (Lissodelphis Borealis) similar in size to the Fin Whale