Magazzini del sale, industrial building in Cervia, Italy
The Magazzini del sale are two industrial buildings in Cervia made of brick and stone, standing beside a canal. The larger structure, the Torre warehouse built in 1691, is divided into sections, and the second building from 1712 was constructed using stones from an old fortress. Both structures have thick walls and tall interior spaces that resemble cathedral naves and once held vast quantities of salt.
One salt warehouse was built in 1691 and the other in 1712, both central to Cervia's salt economy. The 1712 building was constructed using materials from an old fortress, showing how local resources were repurposed for new economic purposes.
The warehouses are deeply connected to Cervia's identity and show how salt shaped daily life in this town. The buildings still carry traces of salt in their walls, reminding visitors of the workers who harvested it and keeping alive the region's maritime tradition.
The buildings sit beside a canal in Cervia's harbor and are easily reached on foot from the town center. The Torre warehouse now houses the salt museum MUSA with rotating exhibitions, while the other building contains restaurants and a spa.
A conveyor belt once connected the two buildings to boats in the harbor and transported thousands of tons of salt from the late 1600s until the 1960s. This mechanical link between storage and ships shows how Cervia streamlined its salt operation.
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