Fodor's Expert Review Ex Stabilimento Florio delle Tonnare di Favignana e Formica

The entrepreneur Ignazio Florio played a leading part in the regeneration of Favignana's tuna fisheries in the 19th century, a tale told in his company's former fishery, a huge complex located on the outskirts of Favignana town, now converted into a museum. Hour-long guided tours take you through the fascinating history and gruesome methods of bluefin tuna fishing, including the ritualistic and bloody culmination of the fishing process, La Mattanza, or "The Killing." These traditional methods died out with the growth of modern industrial practices and overfishing. Tours must be booked a least a day in advance. There's also a separate section focusing on the Battle of Egadi (241 BC), which saw the defeat of the Carthaginians by a Roman fleet and their subsequent expulsion from Sicily.