Holiday apartment in Isab - Erg: Nature, History and Enjoyment

Isab - Erg combines a distinctive industrial history with wetlands, birdwatching, ancient traces and local cuisine. When choosing a holiday apartment in Isab - Erg, this combination opens up different perspectives: you can include nature, culture and regional specialities in your travel plans without reducing the area to just one theme.

Wetlands, Birdlife and Landscape

In the immediate surroundings of Isab - Erg, the Saline di Priolo nature reserve protects the last remaining part of a larger wetland that once stretched along the coast between Priolo and Marina di Melilli. 245 bird species have been observed in the Saline di Priolo, 80 percent of which are wholly or partly migratory birds. Together with the Magnisi Peninsula, more than half of the bird species observed in Sicily and around 40 percent of the bird species observed in Italy to date have been recorded there. The Grotta Palombara, an integral nature reserve established in 1998 and extending for around 800 metres, is also located in the municipality of Melilli.

Visits and Nature Planning

For guided visits to the Saline di Priolo, you must book at least one week in advance; groups are limited to a maximum of 20 people. From Syracuse, you can reach the area via the SP 55, follow the signs to Saline di Priolo, the Magnisi Peninsula and Thapsos, and then continue along the coast to the entrance to the reserve. One project links the natural-history and archaeological sights of the Magnisi Peninsula, with its steppe landscape and history, as well as the Guglia di Marcello; all are part of the Natura 2000 site ITA090013. For the Saline di Priolo, the provision of more than 400 metres of paths for people with disabilities was also planned. The construction of five observation huts was likewise planned, two of which were to extend into the wetland.

Industrial History and Stoneworking

The southern refinery facilities of ISAB were established in 1972 under the original name ISAB, an abbreviation for Industria Siciliana Asfalti e Bitumi, and began operating in 1975. The northern facilities of ISAB were established in the mid-1950s under the original name SINCAT, Società Industriale Catanese, and began operating around 1960. The takeover of the northern facilities and the tank farm by the ERG Group in 2002, together with the southern facilities, created a refinery complex under the name ERG Raffinerie Mediterranee. As early as 1993, ERG and EDISON MISSION ENERGY founded the company ISAB Energy to build an IGCC plant for the gasification of refinery residues and combined heat and power generation. This plant is considered Europe's first facility using this process.

In the municipality of Melilli, the Pirrera Sant’Antonio is a quarry with a maximum height of 27 metres and an average height of 20 metres. Its use for extracting limestone blocks can be traced back to 1450. The limestone was used for the Torre and Castello di Melilli, as well as for buildings and churches after the 1693 earthquake.

Churches, Antiquity and a Disappeared Coast

In the municipality of Melilli, the Basilica di San Sebastiano was built in the second half of the 18th century. The Chiesa Madre, dedicated to San Nicolò, was rebuilt in the 18th century on the remains of an existing church from the 13th century. Near Melilli lies Megara Hyblea, an archaeological site and the location of an ancient Greek polis founded in 729 BC.

Marina di Melilli was a fishing village on the Gulf of Targia, opposite the Thapsos Peninsula. The village was razed to the ground. This combination of ancient settlement history, sacred architecture, stone extraction and a vanished coastal culture gives excursions around Melilli different historical layers.

Local Flavours from Melilli

In the municipality of Melilli, Cudduruni a miliddisa is a homemade focaccia made from durum wheat semolina. It is topped with anchovies in oil, onions, oregano and sun-dried tomatoes and occasionally complemented with local Caciocavallo. Cudduruni originated as a rustic focaccia prepared by farmers for important occasions. For a holiday apartment in Isab - Erg, this speciality is one of the tangible regional discoveries that add a culinary dimension to days spent exploring nature and culture.

Choose a Holiday Apartment in Isab - Erg to Suit Your Travel Interests

When choosing a holiday apartment in Isab - Erg, you can tailor your stay to the documented themes: the birdlife and wetlands of the Saline di Priolo, the landscape and history of the Magnisi Peninsula, Megara Hyblea and the churches of Melilli, or industrial history, stone and local cuisine.

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