The Tonnara di Favignana was one of the largest and most important in the Mediterranean, especially for bluefin tuna fishing. In 1841, the famous and powerful Sicilian Florio family leased the tuna fishery, acquiring the fishing rights. In 1874, Ignazio Florio enlarged and renovated the tonnara, building the tuna canning factory, the first of its kind. It was here that the revolutionary method of preserving tuna in oil after boiling and canning was invented. At the Universal Exhibition of 1891-92, Ignazio Florio also presented innovative tin cans with a key opening. With the construction of the factory, the renewed impetus given to the fishing and marketing of bluefin tuna, on the main domestic and foreign markets, was amply rewarded by success, both in terms of image and profit. At the beginning of the 20th century, after the bankruptcy of the Florio group, the tonnara and the factory changed hands to various private entrepreneurs, until in 1991 it was acquired by the Regione Siciliana authority, which transformed it into a splendid example of industrial archaeology and a museum.