Details and description
If you want to get to the heart of local maritime traditions, you really should visit the MuMa, the Museo del Mare e dei Maestri d’Ascia (Museum of the Sea and the Masters of the Axe). This excellent little musem reveals the skills and secrets of wooden ship-building, while also focusing on protection of the island’s natural habitats. Indeed, MuMA is also the home of the CEAS in Sant’Antioco: the Environmental Education Centre for Sustainability.
A visit to the Museum opens a window onto the world of carpentry, and the work of the Masters of the Axes. These men were important figures in the shipyards, skilled at choosing the right wood, and at shaping and adapting it to fit the form of the boat: each of which was a unique design and a real work of art.
You can also witness a tradition that still survives today in small family-run businesses, which build flat-bottomed boats, such as the “is cius” used for fishing in the lagoon, but also fishing boats and Lateen sailing boats.
After you have visited the museum, you can enjoy a walk along the Lungomare with a greater appreciation of the value and history of these places, and of the expertise of those who build the boats floating on Sant’Antioco Lagoon.
