A trabocco is a kind of shack on a pier that juts out from the beach into the waters of the Adriatic on the coast of Italy’s Abruzzo region. Festooned with poles and nets, it’s a machine for catching fish; an ancient technology said to be developed by the Phoenicians.

Along what’s known as the Trabocchi Coast, stretching south from the aptly named seaside town of Pescara, they dot the shoreline every 500 meters or so. Some are still used to catch fish, but many have been converted to restaurants that feed tourists fresh seafood.