Gulf of Termini

The Gulf of Termini faces the northern Sicilian port whose royal grain-loading establishment gave these waters a lasting commercial importance. From the Middle Ages into the early nineteenth century, Termini was a major collection and embarkation point for grain and other foodstuffs. Produce from the interior accumulated at the Regio Caricatore before shipment, bringing the agricultural economy of inland Sicily directly to the waterfront.

The harbour maintained commercial connections with Genoa, Pisa and Venice, as well as Mediterranean markets including Marseille and Barcelona. In the sixteenth century its contacts also reached Atlantic ports. The gulf was therefore the seaward approach to a specialised export centre, with a commercial reach extending well beyond the neighbouring coast. Its history joins the inland movement of food to the loading and sailing of merchant vessels. The later closure of the Caricatore brought a serious economic crisis to the town, revealing how closely its prosperity had depended on storage, trade and shipping.