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Thanks to its climatic conditions, the Gulf of Sant’Eufemia has always been favored as the ideal environment for the reproduction of Thunnus Thynnus tuna species. For this reason, Calabrian coasts have always been characterized by a major concentration of tonnare and other productions. According to historical documents, the most important and one of the most ancient ones, “la Grande”, was established in 1457 and is located in Pizzo.

Tonnare represented centres of industriousness involving diverse activities and interests. They were a source of wealth and subsistence for local population, offering several possibilities of employment not only during the fishing period but also for the rest of the year.

During the winter, tonnaroti (workers of tonnare) used to fix old nets and to produce the new ones, to caulk the boats (traditionally painted in black as a camouflage to deceive tuna), to carry maintenance of steel wires and anchors, and they also carried out a number of additional preliminary activities.

The permanent Tonnara structure was a fishing system imported from Arabic people around AD 1000 on Calabrian and Sicilian coasts, featuring a complex battery of fishing nets immersed in the sea, designed to catch the tuna during their “genetic migration” route in spring and summer.

The “Tonnara Grande” in Pizzo was installed into the sea in early April, but the actual fishing season only took place in May-June, when the so-called “running tuna” was captured, and in July-August, on the return journey of tuna after eggs laying, with the capture of the “returning tuna”.

The installation of the tonnara involved a large crew of roughly sixty men, endless kilometres of nets, hundreds of anchors, “mazzare” (stones) and cork floats known as “ballette”. The entire structure was itself anchored to a large cliff on the shore, called “catena” or chain, which was the starting point for the “pedale”, a particularly solid structure that held the barrier net in place, strong enough to resist to powerful sea currents and storms.

The rectangular formation of nets called “isola” or island was composed of a series of five connected chambers, from which the tuna were directed towards the last chamber to the west, known as the “death chamber”, the only one having a net on the sea floor as well. This enormous trap with no way out was triggered only when a sufficient amount of tuna had entered the chamber, and the chief-fisherman, called “raìs”, ordered the final part of the “cannamu” (moveable net) to be raised in order to seal off the chamber.

The tuna fishery was supported by a series of boats, the largest one being “U Caparrassu” (the “Chief Rais”), from which all orders were imparted. In addition, it used to back the final part of the tonnara (“cannamu”) that, when properly operated, used to seal off the door of the “death chamber”.

Tuna boats each had their own names, according to their functions. Tonnaroti standed on the “Portanova”, giving the signal by shouting “toccau/it touched” when fish hit their sighting lines. Their voices broke the silence alerting the crew and the raìs, who were waiting on the boat “U Scieri”. Then they drew the attention of the guardians on the boat “Colannitu”, announcing the “levata/rise”. The other boats, called “Musciari” and “Barcacce” were used to move within the tonnara and bring tuna to the shore. Upon “levata”, waiting seemed to last forever.

In the meanwhile, fish kept on moving from the “small chamber” to the “death chamber”, hitting the lines held by the tonnaroti on “Colannitu”, who confirmed the touch by shouting: “leva, leva, tira!/Rise, rise, pull!”. The raìs, after verifying the size and amount of tuna, ordered to lift the tricolor flagpole on the boat “U Scieri”. After being trapped in the “death chamber”, the “mattanza” or killing took place. This was not perceived as a cruel practice but as a matter of necessity and an exhausting procedure, slow and unavoidable, accompanied by the rhythm of an ancient ballad: “A levata”. By singing, tonnaroti from Pizzo expressed their compassion and implored forgiveness in advance. The song ended with the words: “a tutti i tunni cercamu perdunu/to all the tuna we ask forgiveness”.

Those popular sailor songs reflected the joy of waiting and the illusion that the struggle would turn into an enjoyment, harmonizing with the soloist. The local monastery of St. Francis, because of its fortunate position, was the first to set the signal from the boat “U scieri” and it used to ring the church bells in celebration, informing the population of the abundant catch. In consideration of the enormous devotion the inhabitants of Pizzo showed to St. Francis of Paola, patron saint of the seafarers, on each good mattanza, the biggest tuna was offered to the Minim Friars in Pizzo.

The end of tonnare coincided with the end of an activity which, in the darkest centuries of the past and in times of poverty, represented an invaluable source of work and wealth for Pizzo.

Bbliography: Franco Cortese – La Tonnara – in: Le Tonnare di Pizzo – Soc. Editrice Jaca Book (1991); Franco Cortese – Genesi e progenie della città di Pizzo – Soc. Editrice Edizione Brenner – Cosenza; David Donato – La fine di un’epoca e di un’epopea! in: Le Tonnare di Pizzo – Soc. Editrice Jaca Book (1991); AA. VV. – Le Tonnare di Pizzo – Soc. Editrice Jaca Book (1991).