Italian Sea Salt
White Gold of the Biggest Salt Pan in Europe
The Margherita di Savoia salt pan in Apulia is the most important and extensive salt pan of sea origin in Italy and Europe.
Territory
The salt pan of Margherita di Savoia, whose origins date back to 200 BC, is located on the Adriatic Coast on the extreme fringes of the Daunia, 5 km from Ofanto, 12 km from the city of Barletta to the south and 40 km from the Gargano to the north. It extends over a strip of land about 20 km long, stretching inland for maximum of 5 km and occupying a total area of about 4,500 hectares called the Wetland.
It was redesigned by the great architect Luigi Vanvitelli in 1754 and still represents an impressive piece of engineering work. In the twentieth century there was a progressive industrialisation of the salt pan: even in the 1930s a futuristic salt warehouse was designed by the architect Pier Luigi Nervi, built without supporting columns.
Habitat
The salt pan, recognised as wetlands of international importance by Ramsar Convention, is the largest “Nature Reserve for Animal Population” in south-central Italy, where between 20,000 and 50,000 species of fish and birds coexist.
Near the salt basins, along the provincial road to the north, and going north on the coast, there is the famous Pietra Tower, a watchtower built at the behest of the Anjou during the sixteenth century. Near the ancient Tower, an observatory for birdwatching was built by LIPU, located within the characteristic Salinieri Village, with a centre that houses an infopoint for visitors.
A magical habitat, a natural and unpolluted reserve, inhabited by many species of birds and plants.
Flora
Herbaceous and perennial plant, between 3 and 9 cm high, it is commonly known as the common dandelion and its flower is used in cooking and has cleansing properties.
A particular algae, typical of the seas near salt ponds, known for its antioxidant capacity, gives the typical pink colour to the sea thanks to its high concentration of beta-carotene.
Small plant with delicate yellow flowers, it belongs to the Rosaceae family and includes more than 200 different species that grow wild in Italy.
Succulent plant that reaches 35 cm in height, bright green in spring and red in summer, with very small and green flowers, which forms the Salicornieto, a real grassland that protects the soil thanks to its property of retaining hypersaline mud.
Annual or perennial herbaceous plant, upright, 15-60 cm high, which blooms in July-October and prefers salty soils, briny lagoons of coasts.
With silver-coloured leaves, it is a perennial, woody, gray-green herbaceous plant with downward bending or upward bending branches reaching up to 80 cm in height.
Fauna
It is a small marine crustacean that adapts to extreme living conditions that allow it to colonise the salt pans. When it feeds on the dunaliella salina, it becomes pink. They are the favourite food of pink flamingos that take from them the typical pink pigmentation of their feathers.
Bird of medium size and slow stride, it has an elegant and rhythmic way of flying.It alternates flapping of its wings with short glides and its legs stick out from its body.
Hooked beak, large and black body, it has great eyesight of up to 9 metres, but is not very agile in the water due to the shape of its legs.
It has a great size, with a wingspan reaching up to 1.70 metres, it nests from February and feeds on fish, frogs, tadpoles, water snakes and invertebrates.
Very small fish that barely reaches 5-6 cm, this killifish prefers briny waters and can live in swamps and ponds.
Tens of thousands of different species, mollusca are small animals with no endoskeleton, but with a strong muscular body and a rigid structure called a shell.
With a black head, similar to a hood, it is famous for its extreme speed during hunting, it reaches 320 km/h when diving.
A large bird that reaches up to 140 cm in height and 240 cm in wingspan, it owes its typical colour to the planktonic crustaceans it feeds on (artemia salina), rich in beta-carotene.
Large bird with a height of up to 85 cm, similar to the heron in size and colour, but with its typical spatulate bill and white plumage, patched with yellow in summer.
Surface duck with a pink breast, white belly and brown head, the wigeon feeds by gliding over the surface of water in search of plants and nests on the ground.
Sustainability
Cuor di Mare products, coming from local sources, are packaged a few steps from the place where they are grown and harvested. In full compliance with environmental regulations and the commitments made to reduce the impact of polluting emissions and above all, to the protection of biodiversity.
In synergy with local authorities and the management of protected areas, Cuor di Mare works with the aim of enhancing the largest salt pan in Europe and its wealth.
