Salt, a substance that has accompanied humanity since the beginning, is more than just a seasoning: it is a universal symbol, a link between tradition, history, and culture. Always essential in daily life and sacred rituals, salt has profoundly influenced the evolution of civilizations, assuming both practical and spiritual meanings.
An ancient and valuable resource
Since ancient times, salt has been considered a valuable commodity. In ancient cultures, such as the Roman one, it was so important that it was used as a form of currency. The term “salary” actually derives from the practice of paying Roman soldiers with salt, a resource essential for food preservation and survival.
The Via Salaria, one of the oldest Roman roads, attests to the centrality of salt in the Empire’s trade routes. This element, with its ability to preserve food, also symbolized incorruptibility and eternity. Its spiritual connotations are found in many cultures: in Christian rituals, it represents purity and covenant, while among Eastern peoples, the “salt pact” symbolizes a lasting and sacred agreement.
Salt in popular culture
Language and popular traditions reflect the importance of salt in everyday life. Expressions like “avere sale in zucca” (to have salt in the head) or “un conto salato” (a steep bill) evoke intelligence and value. In fairy tales and folk stories, salt becomes a recurring symbol. In Salento, for example, there is the story of the fisherman and the little fish named Salt, who, with cunning, proves to have more “salt in his head” than his captor.
The very name of Salento could also be linked to salt. According to a legend, the term comes from King Sale, a mythical ruler of the Messapi, an ancient people who inhabited these lands before the arrival of the Greeks and Romans.
Salt production: between ingenuity and resistance
Throughout history, salt production has often been regulated by the State. In Italy, the salt monopoly marked entire eras, leading to the persecution of those who tried to produce it illegally. The coasts of Salento, with their cliffs and natural cavities, were the site of ingenious but illegal production. Even today, along the coastal road between Gallipoli and Santa Caterina, traces of these improvised salt pans can still be seen, symbols of a daily struggle for survival.
The Salt Routes: between nature and history
One of the most fascinating examples of the connection between salt and the land is represented by the Salt Routes in Salento. Located near Corsano, these ancient roads, bordered by dry stone walls, once connected the salt collection ponds on the coast with the inland towns. Today, these paths represent a heritage of extraordinary natural and historical beauty.
Along the main paths, such as Nsepe, Scalapreola, and Scalamunte, visitors can immerse themselves in an untouched landscape, between the Mediterranean scrub and the crystal-clear sea. Walking on these ancient routes means traveling back in time, rediscovering the traces of a past that has shaped the identity of the land.
The Salina dei Monaci of Torre Colimena
Another extraordinary example of the connection between salt and the landscape is the Salina dei Monaci of Torre Colimena, located on the Ionian coast. This place, now a protected nature reserve, is a unique ecosystem where history and nature coexist harmoniously.
The name “Monaci” comes from the Benedictine monks, who, starting from the year 1000, transformed this area into a salt factory. Seawater would deposit during storms in a natural depression beyond the dunes, providing a reserve of what was once considered white gold, salt. To improve its exploitation, the monks carved the rock to create a channel for regulating the flow of water, and they built structures for processing and storing the salt, along with a watchtower and a frescoed chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Between the late 1800s and the 1940s, land reclamation efforts were proposed to address the malaria problem, which was particularly widespread here. Fortunately, the interventions were minimal and did not compromise the salt pans and their landscapes.
Starting in the 1960s, the salt pans were subject to heavy real estate speculation and uncontrolled tourist development. Dunes and large areas of Mediterranean scrub were destroyed, the groundwater was contaminated, and the salt pans were even used as a summer football field. In addition, the harmful presence of poachers exacerbated the situation.
The following years marked a turning point, with a new environmental awareness and the commitment of institutions leading to protective interventions in the area and the establishment, in 2000, of the Torre Colimena Salt Pans Protected Area, which was included in the list of Italian protected areas in 2010.
The warehouses form a complex with barrel vaults and three rather spacious rooms (measuring 25×8 meters). The chapel is located a few dozen meters from the warehouse complex and still retains its original vault, with frescoed walls. The tower has a square base and a truncated pyramid shape.
Today, the reserve is an ideal habitat for rare species, such as the pink flamingos, and is surrounded by a lush Mediterranean scrub. The adjacent beach, with its golden dunes, adds to the charm of this destination, perfect for those seeking beauty and tranquility.
A heritage to preserve
Salt, with its millennia-old history, continues to be a valuable resource, symbolizing tradition, culture, and a connection to nature. The traces left by its use and production, such as the Salt Routes and the salt pans, represent an invaluable heritage that deserves to be cherished and protected.