Art Prison

The fortress of Santa Caterina stands over the peak of Favignana, an isle set at the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. For more than a century, the fortress has been an abandoned prison. From the peak of the promontory, it witnesses the continuous rise and setting of the sun in the crystal waters of the Mediterranean Sea. In the early 800s the Island was purchased by the Florio family who built the first factory in order to efficiently refine the production of tuna. Our design preserves the historic fortress and presents a new architecture inspired by the history of Favignana and its people.