The rediscovery of Ganzirri’s Mangraviti Tower, known to most as Saracena Tower, is the highlight of the second day of “Xiphias – Historica swordfish hunting”, the event that will live its climax today, in the location of the large lake, with the scenic representation of the historic hunt, albeit to a fake swordfish. Perfectly wedged between the lake and the sea, in via Marina, the Torre Saracena is one of the hidden beauties of Messina and its reopening, which took place thanks to the commitment of Fai, is enriched by the exhibition “The Strait between flora, fauna and myth” , with the installations embellished by the verses of Maria Costa taken, among others, from “Fata muggana”, “I bromi”, “Colapisci” and “Mari”: «A monument little known by most of Messina and also by the Ganzirroti themselves , who have flocked since we were trying to bring the tower back to the use of visitors – explains the head of delegation Make of Messina, Nico Pandolfino –. We are very happy, also because it is a private tower and we have to thank the Maniaci family who gave us the opportunity to visit it. We have recovered some notions of a historical nature thanks to a thesis by Dr. Bardetta and today we can say with certainty that this tower was already surveyed in 1577 by an emissary of Marco Antonio Colonna. In that period the commercial activities were put to the test by the invasions, for this reason the heritage of the fortified towers was surveyed and we went to see where to build others. This, then, has a number of particularities: it has the shape of an upturned bucket, is nine meters high and does not have a window. The two openings, in fact, were made at a later time. It also guarantees important security, so much so that it was used as an air-raid shelter by the locals during the world wars».
Today, from 5.30 pm, the rowing and rowing competitions on the large lake will involve the companies Canottieri Thalatta, Rowing Club Peloro, Club Nautico Messina and Club Nautico Paradiso. At 18.45, then, space for the scenic representation of the “Historic swordfish hunt”. Following the Holy Mass and the itinerant animations of popular music.