On the Square of the Church Virgin of Itria stands the Palazzotto della Tonnara called “Su Pranu
” . Its construction, which with its internal clearing occupies about five thousand square meters, can be traced back to 1550. Su Pranu is to be considered as an autonomous fortress, independent from the outside. In fact, there is a bakery and several warehouses for storing flour, grain, oil and wine.; then there are workshops for nail and hardware making, for repairing fishing nets and for spinning rope tools. Built according to a well-defined hierarchical scheme, at the top of the building was the master’s part, then that of the direct collaborators (Rais, Vicerais and Guardian) and, in a peripheral position, the ground-floor dwellings, ”
Is Barracas,” dwellings of the tuna fishermen who made up the crew.
Outside the Rais’ house hung a bronze bell, weighing 12 KG, which was rung at various times to summon the tonnarotti; near the keeper’s dwelling, on the other hand, a flag with a red cross on a white field was hoisted, warning of the coming of the mattanza.
In 1698 a sundial clock was placed in the center of the courtyard, preserved, today, in the Tower.
An original copy has been repositioned beside the entrance from the main gate.
