Protected Area
Identity Card
- Sea Surface Area: 2'173.00 ha
- Protected flora: 5 species (Italian text)
- Protected wildlife: 23 species (Italian text)
- Habitats: 4 types (Italian text)
- Regions: Sicilia
- Provinces: Palermo
- Municipalities: Isola delle Femmine, Palermo
- Establishment Measures: D.M. 24/07/2002
- PA Official List: EUAP0555
- Park Authority: Capitaneria di Porto di Palermo (Ente gestore provvisorio dell’area marina protetta)
Flora
The seabed near the protected coastal area of Capo Gallo and Isola delle Femmine hosts a vast array of life forms. Along the rocky shores, visitors can observe a unique living structure known as a vermetid trottoir. This natural shelf-like formation, visible during low tide, is created by the action of small mollusks of the species Dendropoma petraeum. These mollusks cement their shells tightly together, forming a continuous colony that grows into a calcareous platform resembling coral reefs. Vermetid reefs host a diverse array of flora and provide shelter to an equally varied array of small fauna.
Fauna
The area boasts a rich marine ecosystem with numerous resident fish species inhabiting the coastal waters, such as sea bream, scorpionfish, and vibrant wrasses. Groupers, brown meagers, and moray eels thrive in the rocky seabed crevices, while migratory species like dentex and Mediterranean barracuda (Sphyraena sphyraena), locally known as "Aluzzo," pass through the area.
Plant life is equally impressive, highlighted by the presence of Posidonia oceanica, a superior plant (complete with leaves, stems, and roots) of immense ecological importance. This species forms extensive underwater meadows, which are in good condition and highly worthy of conservation. The western seabed of Capo Gallo even features a rare example of Posidonia growing on rocky substrate.
Other notable habitats include coralligenous assemblages, which characterize deep rocky environments, and the unique ecosystems of the numerous submerged and semi-submerged caves in the area.
Archaeology
Geological and geomorphological studies of the Palermo coastline reveal a fascinating evolution shaped by glacio-eustatic sea level variations and tectonic activity during the Plio-Pleistocene.
The area features a rocky substrate composed of predominantly carbonate and terrigenous sequences from the Upper Triassic to Miocene periods, linked to the paleodomains of Panormide and Imerese. These formations were involved in tectonic processes connected to the late Cenozoic formation of the Sicilian chain. Overlying these units are Quaternary calcarenitic and sandy-pelitic deposits, which fill the coastal depressions of Isola delle Femmine and Sferracavallo, lying flat or gently sloping towards the sea.
Culture and Landscape
"For visitors arriving by plane, Capo Gallo with its cliffs and sharp-edged profile stands as a stark division between land and sea. For those arriving by sea, it is the western sentinel of the Gulf of Palermo" (Riggio S., F.M. Raimondo).
This strategic location has long justified the presence of historical settlements, vital for maritime trade and defense against potential seaborne incursions. The area's natural caves provided shelter for human settlements as far back as prehistoric times, with some still preserving archaeological and paleontological remains (Di Stefano and Mannino, 1983).
