The port city of Marsala

Friday, 10 April 2015 - 04:04 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General
Reading Time:  3 minutes

Salt evaporation ponds Ettore Infersa at Stagnone Marsala © flickr.com - Alun Salt

Salt evaporation ponds Ettore Infersa at Stagnone Marsala © flickr.com – Alun Salt

Marsala is a seaport city located in the Province of Trapani on the island of Sicily in Italy. The low coast on which it is situated is the westernmost point of the island. It is best known as the source of Marsala wine. The town is situated on the Mediterranean coast. The Arabs gave it its present name “Marsala,” which perhaps is derived from the Arab “Marsa Allah” (Port of Allah). The huge ancient harbor that lay on the northeast was destroyed by Charles V in the 16th century, to prevent its occupation by pirates. The modern harbor lies to the southeast.

On May 11, 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Expedition of the Thousand landed at Marsala and began his campaign to overthrow Bourbon rule in Sicily, during the Unification of Italy process.

Little remains of the ancient Lilybaeum. Fragments of the city walls, squared stones, and some foundations of buildings between the walls and the sea are visible. The so-called grotto and spring of the Sibyl is located under the church of San Giovanni Battista (1555), and is traditionally considered the tomb of the Cuman or Siculian Sibyl.

To the east of the town is a great fosse which defended it on the land side, and beyond this again are quarries like those of Syracuse on a small scale.

Salt Ponds © Rapidash95 Marsala map © NormanEinstein fortified wine © Dedda71 City Gate © flickr.com - Alun Salt Church of the Purgatory © Archenzo Salt evaporation ponds Ettore Infersa at Stagnone Marsala © flickr.com - Alun Salt
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Salt evaporation ponds Ettore Infersa at Stagnone Marsala © flickr.com - Alun Salt
The modern town takes the shape of the Roman camp within the earlier city, one of the gates of which still existed in 1887. Sights include the campanile and convent of the Annunziata, and the Baroque Church of the Purgatory.

The main street (the Cassaro) perpetuates the name castrum. The Biagio Anselmi Archaeological Museum houses an example of Carthaginian ship used during the Battle of the Aegates Islands (241 BC), as well as other ancient remains from the area.

Natural sights include the stagnone (“Big Marsh”) lagoon preserved area.

Read more on City of Marsala, italyheaven.co.uk – Marsala, Wikivoyage Marsala and Wikipedia Marsala. Learn more about the use of photos. To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.




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