There are places in Italy sadly known, unfortunately, because the news brings them to the fore for news that we would never want to read. But they are luoghi of the heart, of the soul, which capture emotions and leave an indelible memory in those who visit them. Among these places is Lampedusa, often at the center of news related to the tragedies of immigration. But we don't want to tell you about this. But of the treasures that the sea of Lampedusa is returning to history. Finds from a time now past, but capable of bringing back to mind and protecting a place of the heart like this one.
In the abyss the treasures of the Lampedusa sea
And so up to a depth where divers can reach, recently found, dozens of historical wrecks. These are merchant ships sunk during the great battles of the Second War World. The treasures of the sea of Lampedusa found in a stretch that goes from 20 miles from the coast of Lampedusa up to 100 miles away, at a depth ranging from 33 to 140 meters.
Among the finds, a steamship that sank in 1941
Among the surprising discoveries, deep in the abyss, the ship's bell, in bronze, of the Egadi postal steamer. It was bombed and sunk in 1941. Also found there binnacle compass of the steamer. The extraordinary discovery made by the deep-sea deep-sea experts who are engaged in the fourteenth survey campaign that is affecting the sea in the area. An extensive documentation project of the naval wrecks of the "Battle of the Mediterranean Convoys of the Second World War". The project is carried out by the Society for the Documentation of Submerged Sites and by the Superintendency of the Sea of the Sicilian Region. The bell has a diameter of 30 cm, a weight of about 25 kg and has several engravings such as the name of the ship, a fasces and other decorations.
A bit of history
The steamship of the Società Anonima di Navigazione "La Meridionale" of Palermo used, even during the period of the world war, for mail and passenger service between Trapani, Marsala, Mazara del Vallo, the Egadi islands, Pantelleria, Linosa and Lampedusa. Five British torpedo bombers that took off from Malta attacked him in 1941. On board the steamer there were 109 crew and passengers. 44 died; between and victims the commander and the chief engineer. "The recovery of the bell of the "Egadi" post office - said Alberto Samonà, councilor for cultural heritage of the Sicilian Region - and the identification operations carried out by scholars give us not only a precious testimony, but also the memory of a painful page in our history".
Not only the sunken steamer, in the sea of Lampedusa there are also other period finds
From the underwater investigations carried out in recent months in the depths of the sea of Lampedusa, other finds have also emerged. As the researchers explained, to find the sunken ships, the testimonies of the fishermen are collected. In fact, they know the places where the wrecks are located because there are large fish. The recovered wrecks, therefore, become a historical memory that must be protected. Hence an even more ambitious project. In fact, ships are submerged cultural assets and therefore potentially attract many tourists.
Diving tourism
Now the recovered items will be restored and then exhibited. Instead the steamer will remain on the seabed. But it must be protected for its "historical importance", under protection as a historical heritage - which can be visited by divers from authorized diving centers.
Photo source in evidence: Isle of Lampedusa Bay of Rabbits. Source: commons.wikimedia.org Annamariacapicchioni - Own work CC BY-SA 3.0
How wonderful!