The “Saline fo Trapani” are the most important of Europe for the abundance and the quality of the product. These “Saline” are sited long the western coast of Sicily and they occupy different hundreds of hectares. This importance is due to the elevated concentration of salt in the Mediterranean Sea and on the favourable climatic conditions. The absence of rains, the elevated temperature and the strong wind allow a period of evaporation of five or six months the year. The “Saline” are delimited by dams in closeness of the sea and are costuituite at a great number of basins. Into some basins the water of the sea enters with the high tide and is made concentrating and becoming saturated of chloride of sodium, while in others, for evaporation, it parts and puts the salt down. The basins, of variable shape, communicate between them for means of canals. The fund is made smooth by means of sand, clay and chalk. The basins are called in different way to second of the use: the first one is said "fridda", basin into whom the water with the sea enters. The second ones are called "Vasi ", where the water is pumped by means of the mills to wind, being superiors at the level of the sea. The third basins are said “ruffiane or mediatrici”. These are smaller basins into whom the densest and hot water is made flowing. The last ones are the basins of evaporation, called “calde”, which give water ready for the deposition of the salt. The production happens in the summer months of July and August. Even if one tells that the “Fenici” already should cultivate the salt, the “Saline di Trapani” have been built around 1500. Step by step the concentration of salt change the colour of the the water and it assumes a reddish colouring. In the moment of the crop on the fund of basin remains a layer of 15-20 cm. of salt that must be shattered and picked up. The crop happens manually by workers with shovel and barrows. The work begins towards the 4-5 of the morning and ends towards the 12, because in that period the temperature is very elevated. An important man is named “Curatolo”, which is that must make growing the salt. He observes the basins and notices the different concentration of the salt that evince the change of colour of the water. He decides when to transfer the water from a basin to other one. It is a difficult work, because if it is not done perfectly risks making melting the salt. Generally the necessary time to the cultivation of the salt belongs 50 days, later of what the crop happens. Workers' different categories are alternated in the harvesting, cleaning of the basins and count of the quantities of salt. At the end the mountains of salt are covered with “terraccotta” to prevent the rains from being able to melt the salt. The saltworks form also an ecosystem rich in flora and fauna. There can be noticed different kinds of birds between whom the pink fenicotteri.
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