The Margherita di Savoia Saltworks are located in the large Tavoliere delle Puglie plain on the Adriatic Sea. They consist of large expanses of still water with different depths that are divided into basins for the production of sea salt. They are the largest Italian saltworks and one of the largest in the Mediterranean area. There was originally a large coastal lagoon known as lake Salpi on the site of today’s salt ponds. Men started exploiting the phenomenon of evaporation that occurs in these large salt ponds back in the Neolithic age, when the first settlements were established. Later on, the ancient Greeks and the Romans too exploited these salt deposits. Men have been interested in these salt deposits from the economic and productive point of view, as well as for therapeutic reasons as desalinated water (known as mother water or red water) has been renowned for its beneficial properties in spa treatment for centuries. The local landscape underwent several changes over time to keep up with the latest techniques to extract salt. While water once drained out thanks to natural slopes, new systems based on basins and draining pumps have replaced traditional methods. Mechanical devices have supplanted manual salt harvesting. However, some structures built by Ferdinand I of Bourbon in the early nineteenth century can still be seen and they are important examples of industrial archaeology. The local animals, albeit limited in terms of species, stand out for their degree of specialisation as they can survive in this very dry environment. From the animal point of view, this area is the ideal habitat for a variety of aquatic birds.
