Sicily, restoration of the Marausa II and Gela II wrecks kicks off

Sicily, restoration and assembly work on the Marausa II and Gela II wrecks was delivered this morning, marking the start of the operational phase of an intervention designed to return the two important finds to public use. The project, promoted by the Superintendence of the Sea and entrusted to the Archaeology Cooperative, represents a strategic step in the journey to enhance Sicily’s underwater heritage.

The initiative is part of a broader plan to create a network of sea and ship museums in the Sicilian region, a project defined as ambitious and unprecedented in the Mediterranean context. The goal is to build a thematic museum system capable of narrating the millennial relationship between the island and the sea, transforming the underwater archaeological heritage into a lever of development not only cultural and scientific, but also tourist and economic.

Underlining this is Regional Councillor for Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, who highlights how the start of the construction site represents a decisive step toward the realization of this network. “With the start of work,” he explains, “we are taking a further, decisive step in the realization of the network of sea and ship museums of the Sicilian Region. This is an ambitious and unprecedented project in the Mediterranean, which aims to create a thematic museum network capable of narrating the millennial relationship between Sicily and the sea, transforming our underwater heritage into a driver of development not only on a cultural and scientific level, but also on a touristic and economic one.”

The total contract amount is 853,633.80 euros, a figure that includes works, labor and safety charges. The work will officially start on April 10 and will have a total duration of 960 days, with completion scheduled by Nov. 25, 2028. This is a timeline that, while extensive, is considered particularly fast in relation to the scientific and technical complexity of the restoration operations, which require highly specialized skills and articulated procedures.

Present at the handover were, among others, director of works Roberto La Rocca, Marsala Archaeological Park director Anna Occhipinti and Gela Park director and former acting sea superintendent Emanuele Turco. The presence of the heads of the sites involved testifies to the integrated nature of the project, which directly involves the archaeological parks of Lilybaeum-Marsala and Gela.

The restoration of the Marausa II and Gela II wrecks represents a major intervention both from a scientific and cultural enhancement point of view. The finds, kept in their respective archaeological parks, constitute significant evidence of the maritime history of the island and, more generally, of the trade routes and dynamics of the ancient Mediterranean. The operation aims not only at the preservation of the materials, but also at their recomposition and presentation to the public, making accessible again testimonies that, due to their submerged nature, require complex interventions to be fully understood and enjoyed. In this sense, the project is part of a broader enhancement strategy that aims to integrate research, protection and dissemination.

Strengthening cultural and tourism offerings is one of the central goals of the initiative. Through the creation of a museum system dedicated to the sea and navigation, the Sicilian Region intends to attract new flows of visitors and promote a narrative of the territory based on its historical relationship with the Mediterranean.

Sicily, restoration of the Marausa II and Gela II wrecks kicks off

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