Pontile sbarcatoio di Gela (Loading dock)

A long overpass built in the early 20th century leads from the beach into the sea. The structure served as a cargo pier, as the shallow waters prevented ships from approaching the shore.

The project was developed by the Caltanissetta Civil Engineering Department, and construction began in 1911, finishing four years later. It is the first structure in Jelù to be built entirely of reinforced concrete. Initially, the pier was 200 meters long, but after a few years, it became insufficient. By that time, up to 200 ships were visiting Jelù each year, and the increased cargo traffic required extending the pier by an additional 150 meters to accommodate ships with deeper drafts. Red tape, financial difficulties, and political conflicts delayed the project for almost two decades, and construction began only in 1932 and was completed in 1935.

Before the Allied landing, which took place on the night of June 9-10, 1941, the Italian army blew up the central part of the pier to make it difficult for the troops to disembark. However, this did not affect the course of the operation, as the landing took place on a 50-kilometer strip, and low-profile landing barges and floating transporters allowed the soldiers of the U.S. Seventh Army, led by General Patton, to set foot on Sicilian soil without getting their feet wet. After the war, the port of Refugio was built to the west of the pier, protected by breakwaters, and it remained abandoned for a long time.

Now the old pier is an extension of the promenade, but access to its far end is closed. The consequences of the night storm were also here, so I couldn't walk "into the sea" - the pier's surface was covered with a thick layer of water, and I managed to cross half of it on a narrow sandbar, but it was impossible to go any further.

.I had planned to take a night panorama of the city from the pier last night, but unfortunately, the elements had other plans.