History and etymology of Mazara del Vallo

We know from Diodorus (90-21 BC)  that the place now known as Mazara del Vallo was an "emporium" near Selinunte. "[…] Diodorus speaks precisely about an ‘emporium’ close to ('parà') the Mazaro  River, taken by Hannibal  (247-182 BC) in 209 BC in the march from Lilibeo towards Selinunte (...) a harbour area (‘emporion’), which was the nucleus of that would become the town of Mazara (See Stefania De Vido, “Gli Elimi: storie di contatti e di rappresentazioni”,  Scuola Normale Superiore, 1997: 259).

In fact, the Greek word "emporion" is just a specific "place" , that is a port station  and a market place.  Stephen of Byzantium (6th century AD ) also spoke about a "froùrion" (small castle) near the  Mazaro River, and the "Mazarioi" (inhabitants of Mazara): “Mazàre, frùrion Selinuntion, tè ethnicon Mazaraioi” [Mazara, a small castle of Selinunte, whose inhabitants were called ‘Mazaresi’]. Hence  the assumption arose that the “froùrion emporion” (fortified emporium) was  a Phoenician town called “Mazara” and having the same name of  the close river. Which means, in essence, the ancient existence of Mazara.

With regard to the etymology, V. Amico said: "[...] Bochart says that the name 'Mazara'  derives from the Punic word 'Mazar', which meant 'terminus' [border]  among the Latins, since the town was once perhaps the boundary between the Greeks and Carthaginians. [...]" (See V. Amico, “Dizionario Topografico della Sicilia”, Palermo, 1859, Vol II: 62).

Indeed Bochart wrote: “Puninicum amnis nomen 'Mazar' pro limite passim occurrit in Haebraeorum libris ... 'inter terminos'”. [In some Jewish texts the  'Mazar' River is intrepret as a 'border'  (...) ‘inside the boundaries’”] (See Samuelis Bocharti  "Geographia Sacra", 1674: 616).Then Bochart also explained the meaning of his choice: […] Neque fortasse id male. Mazaro igitur inde fuit nomen …Postquam nimirum Graecorum plurimis in hanc insulam navigantibus, Phoenis nihil relictum est praeter Motyam et Soluntum et Panormum, ut in Tucydide habetur. Graecorum igitur ultima urbs Mazara fuit ad orientalem ripam Mazarae amnis, ubi supersters hodie est. Nam occidentalem Phoeni tenebant, quorum erat oppidulum ab occasu proximum nomine Lilybaeum […]”[ I think that it is not a wrong choice  (...) After many Greeks occupied the island [Sicily], only Mozia, Solunto and Palermo were left  to the Phoenicians, as we read in Thucydides.

Therefore Mazara was the last town of the Greeks on the eastern side of the Mazara River, where it is today. In fact, the Phoenicians controlled only the western side, with the small fortified town located west of Lilybaeum]. In essence, Mazara was called the "town between the borders" precisely because, according to Bochart, it was situated on the river that marked the boundary between the territories of the Greeks and Phoenicians. On the other hand Mazara and the  "Mazaro" River were always identified as an administrative  "border" , not just by the Phoenicians, but also by Arabs and Normans, who retained the same administrative districts. In 1080 Count Roger (1031-1101) established the new diocese of Mazara, and “ […] as it appears on a diploma of February 1081, Count Roger wanted to define the territorial boundaries of the new ecclesiastical district (...)  and he chose Mazara, like Troina, as a new heart of the episcopal jurisdiction […]” (See, “Ruggero il Gran Conte e l'inizio dello stato Normanno”, Bari, 1977: 49)

In past centuries there was much doubts among scholars about the existence of a place called "Mazara"; for some authors Mazara coincided with Selinunte, and they believed that in  Roman times Mazara was called the "New Selinunte" (See, “Enciclopedia Italiana di scienze, Lettere e Arti”, Treccani, Vol 31: 675). T. Fazello was quite opposed to this assumption: "Diodorus said that Mazara is clearly different from Selinunte; on the contrary it is further, and his words are these:" Hannibal (…) departing from Lilybaeum,  moved towards Selinunte, and being arrived at  the Mazara River, took a small castle which was situated on the side of this river "(See T. Fazello, “Storia di Sicilia deche due”, Palermo, 1830, Vol. II: 125).  Certainly,  "Mazara" is  one of the few Phoenician etymons in Sicily: "Gsell (" Histoire ancienne de l'Afrique du Nord ", I, 408) listed only a few reliable Phoenician etymons, three in western Sicily [Soloeis, Mozia and Mazara] and two in the eastern [Tapso and Pachino] "(See Luigi Pareti, “Studi minori di storia antica”, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, Rome, 1958: 230).

These are therefore the conclusions reached by the critics, summed up in a few words by A.T. Manni Piraino: " With regard to the 'vexata quaestio' about the autonomy of Mazara in Roman times,  such as Segre remarks , we know by Stephen of Byzantium the ethnic 'Mazaraioi '(the inhabitants of Mazara). ‘The Itinerary of Antoninus’  also seems to confirm the existence of a settlement named  Mazara” (See A. T. Manni Piraino, “Mazara e un 'koinòn' Kinakòn' di età Romana imperiale”,  in "Oriens antiquus", 1969, Vol. 8: 121-125). According to Piraino,  the words “koinon 'Kinakòn”  would refer to a  “ Phoenician community” : “[…] The  'Kinakès' (...) would the Phoenicians living in Mazara; and we may conclude that the ‘koinon’ was a corporative or religious structure which presumably safeguarded  their interests in a business centre of considerable importance.

Probably the membership of the 'koinon' were   dyers, or more generally merchants[…]". Before these proofs, we must recognize that Schmoll was perfectly right to assert the Phoenician-Punic origin of  Mazara “ which was not an Arab foundation, as some authors have erroneously supposed, given that the name is already in the classical sources” (See“Il bilinguismo degli antichi” , 1991:  33). Therefore, after a painstaking investigation, we can say with positiveness that "Mazara" was the name of an ancient Phoenician fortified town situated on the side of the “Mazaro” River.

Thereby fail the assumptions proposed by many scholars even today, that the word "Mazara" would be of Arab origin. This deep-rooted opinion   very likely derives from the observation of the importance that the Arabs had in the development of this town. According to this assumption, supported by many scholars until the nineteenth century, the term “Mazara” means "mill" or "marsh":  "[...] We do not doubt that the name of Mazara (...)  may derive from an Arabic word. Cascini (...)  believes that it meant "mill." But it seems more likely that it derives from the word 'Zarat', 'palus' (marsh) with the addition of 'mim', forming the name of the place; hence the term 'Mazarat' meaning  ‘swampy area’ [...]" (See S. Morso, “Descrizione di Palermo Antico[a]”, Palermo, 1827: 230-231). If this assumption is no longer sustainable, then we’re looking at a very different ball-game when we consider the second part of the name "Mazara", or "del Vallo". With regard to the second term, "Vallo" (Latin 'Vallis') the problem has been takled by D. Minuto, who rightly attributes this name to the Arabs: "[...] The explanation of the term 'Vallis' takes us into the heart of the Byzantine history of this region.

The chronicler Geoffrey Malaterra (12th century) used the term 'Vallis' to translate the  Byzantine term 'eparchy'.  In fact, when the Normans arrived here, the region was an 'eparchy', that is an important section of  the territorial administration, which corresponds to the concept of province or district. Godfrey Malaterra called it  'Vallis'  because the Arabs had really  divided the island into three 'valleys', or the 'Valley of Noto',  'Valley of Mazara' and ' Demenna Valley'. Michele Amari, although unconvinced that the name 'valley' goes back to the Arabs, however, acknowledged it . In fact, he said that the Arabic term 'wilaya' means 'land', or jurisdiction of 'Walè', and 'walì' were called the Arab magistrates appointed to the control of the provinces, or the various branches of the civil service [... ] "(See Domenico Minuto, “La 'Vallis salinarum'”, in“Polis. Studi interdisciplinari sul mondo antico”,  Rome, 2006: 325).

Making a synthesis between the old term (border) and the Arabic term (country, territory), we could say that "Mazara del Vallo" means "Borderland." For completeness, we note that two other etymologies float. The first proposes the etymology of "harbour" (harbour = “Mazar”), but this assumption collides with the fact that we should admit an Arabic root (“marsa”),  such as  “Marsala” (Marsa-Ali = Harbour of Ali ), which does not exist for the reasons mentioned earlier (for "marsa"[harbour] See Michele Amari, "History of the Muslims of Sicily”, Florence, 1854, Vol I: 467). The other assumption proposes the etymology of "fortress", which undoubtedly possesses a remarkable consistency. In the nineteenth century I. Taylor wrote: “Mazara [According to Gesenius, p. 425], which still preserves its ancient name is the 'castle'” (VediI. Taylor, "Words and Places", 1864: 99 and note 8).

Perhaps this etymology arises from the fact that Diodorus  already defined  Mazara as a "froùrion," a term that can be translated as a "little castle". In fact, in the “Dizionario Epigrafico di Antichità” we read: "[...] ‘Castellum’ (Greek 'froùrion') as  the diminutive for 'castrum', would indicate a small camp, a fortress with the garrison of soldiers [...]".  It can be also interesting to note that among the shades of meaning of "castellum" and "froùrion" one may also indicate a “number of settlers and soldiers” and even a ‘residential area’ " (See E. De Ruggiero, “Dizionario Epigrafico di Antichità” , Rome, 1959, Vol. IV, fasc. 33:  1087-1088).

The "emporium" located on the estuary of the Mazaro River fell in 409 BC into hands of the Carthaginians, and later, under Roman rule, it  had a period of remarkable prosperity; the discovery of some decorated sarcophagi  in Mazara would be clear evidence of a wealthy families in Roman times. However, with regard to the Roman age,  despite the importance of the town, the data are sporadic: [...] We  have insufficient knowledge on  Mazara, poorly documented, remembered as a simple 'statio' [staging post] by the 'Itinerarium Antonini'. The contribution of archeology will be particularly relevant in the case of Mazara. Some remains of an ‘insula’ with a mosaic floor dated between the third and fifth centuries BC were found under the Norman church of  ‘San Nicolò Regale’; we also known  three marble sarcophagi, placed in the cathedral (...) and the remains of walls at the mouth of the Mazaro River (…) It is hard therefore to reconstruct even a schematic image of the town before the Islamic and Norman age.

However, it  is certain  that Mazara, since Roman times, was something more than a small village of fishermen, but is likely that from the Middle Empire Mazara  known a period of [intense] development [...]" ( See F. Maurici, in Terze Giornate di studi sull'area elima”, Atti, II,  2003: 887). To this we add the findings due to underwater archeology, like the "Dancing Satyr", of which the criticism  discussed at length t  (See below).

After the period of Roman rule, Mazara passed to the Byzantines. Besieged and conquered in turn by Geiseric (389-477 AD), Odoacer (433-493 AD) and Theodoric (471-526 AD), in 535 it was conquered by Belisarius (500-565 AD), who opened the way to the Byzantine rule, which lasted until the year 827. In this year ended in Sicily, after almost 400 years, the Byzantine rule and that Muslim began with the Arab landing  at Mazara, on June 17, 827. About the Arab landing at Mazara, a memorable event about which all scholars agree, however, a “topographic” problem arose.  In fact, they puzzled  about  the question for which some Arab chroniclers claimed that the Arab army immediately attacked an area known as “al-Qal'al k.rat” (fortress of the harbour). Michele Amari gave a solution to the problem, identifying "al-Qal'al k.rat" with the ancient “Acrae”, the current “ Palazzolo Acreide” .

Almost all followed him, though with much hesitation, because, actually, “Palazzolo Acreide” is a bit  far from the place of landing, or from Mazara. P.J. Alexander writes in this way: “[...] Enfin, il y a la question topographique de la route prise par l'armée arabe en 827. Il n'y a pas de doute que les envahisseurs débarquèrent à Mazara à l'extremité occidentale de l''île et de là se dirigèrent vers Syracuse à l'est. Mais tout le rest est sujet à caution[...]”[Finally, there is the topographic  question  about the path taken by the Arab army in  827. There is no doubt that the invaders landed at Mazara in the western part of the island, and then they headed east to Syracuse. But the rest is very doubtful]. P.J. Alexander noted again that the words used by the Arab chroniclers  Ibn al-Atir [died  1233] and Nuwayri [died 1332], "mot par mot" [ word for word] were these: "[... ] 'al-Qal'al k.rat' (...) en francais 'la Fortresse  des baies ou port' (in French 'fortress of the bay or  harbour') [...]" (See P.J. Alexander, "Religious and political thought and history in the Byzantine Empire”, Variorum, 1978: 96 and 115).

Although the assumption of  M. Amari, still we do not know for sure where   the "phantom" fortress was located. Unless the Arab chroniclers had used a circonlocution to indicate Mazara, which also presents all the requirements of the Arabic expression, because  Mazara  is,  at the same time, a "fortress" ("froùrion") and also a " harbour". In summary, perhaps the Arab chroniclers, instead of naming "directly" Mazara ["The army landed at Mazara"], they wrote: "The army landed in the 'fortified harbour' or 'close to the fortress of the harbour '."

Thus, the landing at Mazara of  theArab troops, commanded by Asad Ibn Al - Furat, marked the beginning of Muslim rule in Sicily. The Arab period was glorious for "Mazara del Vallo", which became an economic, commercial and cultural heart of exceptional importance, almost like Palermo. In an important work by De Simone (“I luoghi della cultura arabo-islamica”, in “Centri di produzione della cultura nel Mezzogiorno Normanno-svevo”, Bari, 1997: 73 ff.) we read that Mazara  developed some important cultural projects, such as a philological and grammar  school, a law school, whose most famous was a "witty" Imam, Al Mazari, known as the "Mazarese" (that is  "native of Mazara" ), who wrote an important treatise of medicine.

The harbour of Mazara  became the landing point of refuge for ships coming from the nearby African coast and among the leading  trade towns of the Mediterranean for the wealth of goods produced by local industries in the salt, sugar, tuna and silk. Al Idrisi, born in Mazara (1099-1165), called it a " beautiful , superb and unbeatable town (...) It has strong and high walls , very pretty houses, wide streets and markets filled with commodities and products, sumptuous bathrooms and large shops, as well as vegetable and flower gardens with beautiful plants "(See Al Idrisi, “ L'Italia descritta nel 'Libro di Ruggero'”, edited by M. Amari, Salviucci, 1883: 37).

The Arab culture continued to exist even after the expulsion of the Arabs by the Normans and in the following Swabian age;   we have to think about the figure of Frederick II of Swabia (1194-1250), in  whose court the Arabic language was taught, and the Emperor himself appreciated the Arab philosophers, so Charles of Anjou (1226-1285), called him the ‘Sultan of Lucera’” (See De Simone, p. 73 ff ). Mazara, after the Norman conquest became the capital of the vast territory that took the name of "Val di Mazara" and in 1093 it became the seat of a bishopric which had jurisdiction over the area.

The papal recognition of the diocese of Mazara was made official by Pope Urban II (1035-1099) with the bull of October 10, 1098 and confirmed by his successor, Paschal II (died in 1118) October 15, 1100. In the end  of the Swabian age, the “Val di Mazara” also fell into anarchy instigated by the great feudal families of the time. In modern times, especially along the sixteenth century, thanks to the old farm structures created in the Arab and encouraged in Norman and Swabian age, the feudal agrarian production was remarkable.

In the seventeenth century, however we see a general impoverishment of the area, and the disappearance of many  hamlets that  characterized the period of Arab rule, because  a large percentage of the total population  resided in cities. The area thus was characterized by a farm crisis that became more acute during the Spanish domination. In the following centuries, the primary sector, however, was still the leading one, but from the middle of the nineteenth and twentieth century thrived an economic activity  linked to fishery, for  the  ancient city link with the sea, to the detriment  of the primary sector.

Today the city is focusing on a revaluation of land and its cultural heritage to promote mainly the tourism sector.