The origins of the historic Tonnara of Marzamemi are from ancient times, since around the year 1000 A.D. the Arabs created what would become the most important tonnara of eastern Sicily. The name Marzamemi probably derives from the Arabic "marsa al hamem" which means Turtle Dove Cove.
The present-day settlement of the village dates back to the period from the mid-sixteenth to the middle of the eighteenth century, with the Prince's Palace being the work of the great architect Vermexio.
