IdeasPhoto © Guglielmo Giambartolomei

Marina di Pisa: "Retoni" in Boccadarno

Arriving on the coast of the Terre di Pisa, these historic "fishermen's huts" provide a unique scenery

A few kilometers from Piazza dei Miracoli, in the direction of the sea, we find what we might consider another symbol of the Terre di Pisa: the Retoni di Boccadarno. Wooden structures-designed and built by fishermen after World War II - can offer a unique panorama to those who live in and pass through Marina di Pisa.

You can see them as you walk along Viale Gabriele D'Annunzio, arriving at the mouth of the Arno River (hence the name "Boccadarno"), with the pine forest of Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Park on the right and the Port of Pisa on the left. The Apuan Alps complete the stunning backdrop.

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"Retoni", actually, is the dialect name: in Italy these types of huts are also called "bilance". They adopt a fishing system whereby nets are dipped down to the bottom and then pulled up again after a few minutes. There are nets of 10x10 meters, but also larger nets of 22x22 meters. It is no coincidence that they are called " Retoni".

In the postwar years, fishing was an important source of income for the locals. Even today some of these structures belong to fishermen who continue trying their hand at this particular practice.