Isola delle Femmine: between myth and reality
Isola delle Femmine is a town in Sicily, not far from Palermo, and owes its name to the small island, which, although part of the town, is privately owned by one of the most important local aristocratic families.
Legends
It is shrouded in legend, and there are many stories about this small island. According to the first legend, the island became the prison of 13 Turkish women who were punished with exile by their families for their serious sins. They were put on a ship without a captain and left at the mercy of the wind and the sea for days, until a storm wrecked them on the small island, where they lived happily for seven long years, after which they were found by their repentant families.
The families decided not to return home, but to build a new town, named “CCa-paci” (peace here), and named the islet “Isle of Women”. This legend is supported by the testimony of a letter addressed to Trajan by Pliny the Younger.
The second legend tells of a denied love affair between the Count of Capaci and a young girl, who, after rejecting the Count, was condemned by him to solitude in the tower of the islet, from which, however, the young woman committed suicide, and according to someone, when the wind blows from the North-West you can still hear her heartbreaking cry.
The origins
The name “Isola delle Femmine” (Island of the Females) could be the result of an italianisation of “Insula fimi”, from the name of the general Eufemius of Messina, who was a Byzantine governor of Sicily.
The most accredited version, also reported by the website of the Municipality of Isola delle Femmine, states that the name was first used in 1776, and is attested by an ecclesiastical bulletin of Monreale in 1912.
The name used is “Isola di Fimi”, where “fim” is a Latinization of the Arabic word “fim”, transformed into the Latin “fimis”, and in the dialect “fimmini”, meaning entrance, and this name was used to indicate the island at the mouth of the maritime sinus extending westwards to Punta Raisi in the territory of Carini.
The islet has been an Oriented Reserve since 1997, entrusted to LIPU in 1998, and is included in the wider Capo Gallo – Isola delle Femmine Protected Marine Area. The shape of the islet is oval, due to marine erosion and has a surface not suitable for cultivation.
Flora and fauna
The choice to establish the Reserve is not casual, indeed, because of its distance from the building fury of man, on the island it is possible to observe numerous species of plants, including:
– the Mediterranean maquis,
– the spurge,
– the iris.
In particular, the islet is a destination for numerous migratory birds, including:
– the kingfisher,
– the Grey Heron
– the buzzard;
– peregrine falcon.
However, it is also the habitat of many sedentary species, in particular the Mediterranean Herring Gull, which has made it one of the most numerous and important colonies in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
The Reserve also includes the seabed, which is rich in archaeological evidence of undoubted importance, including numerous anchors from the Greek and Roman periods, as well as a German Junkers-52 trimotor dating back to 1942.
The seabed is also home to numerous species of fishes:
– moray eels;
– lobsters;
– seahorses;
– starfish;
– various types of molluscs and other species of rock fishes;
– red coral.
The seabed and its beauty attract many snorkelling and diving enthusiasts to enjoy it to the full.
Back on dry land, you can visit the seaside village of Isola delle Femmine, where you can relive a traditional atmosphere, with fishermen returning from night fishing and cleaning their nets in the small harbour, or simply strolling through the village streets.
Activities
The place allows various activities:
– simple walks along the seafront at sunset to enjoy the spectacle;
– snorkelling;
– diving;
– surfing;
– windsurfing;
– kitesurfing.
Isola delle Femmine is a magical place, where you can relax among the golden beaches and crystal clear sea.