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Visit Marsala
Marsala, which the Arabs called "Marsa Allah" (i.e. "the port of Allah"), has a very ancient history with its roots in the Phoenician-Punic age.
It is located on the "Capo Boeo" which also preserves the ancient name of "Capo Lilibeo", between Erice, Segesta and Selinunte. Marsala has a world-class wine industry, in which stands out the classic "Marsala".
Marsala and its archaeological treasures
The visit to Marsala can start from “Piazza della Repubblica”, heart of the Old Town.
This square houses the Main Church, dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury, with a Mannerist-Baroque façade; it is of Norman origin but was rebuilt over the centuries. The façade is decorated with statues and flanked by two bell towers. The interior has three naves and has a number of sculptures of the 16th century, among them the "Madonna of the People" by Domenico Gagini (1420-1492).
Marsala Museums - and a very old ship
Behind the Cathedral Church is the Tapestry Museum, which houses some 16th century Flemish tapestries depicting scenes from the Bible.
More important however is the Archaeological Museum which houses the remains of a Punic ship. The wreck, of which part of the stern and the side of the port side are preserved, was probably about 30m long and 4m wide. In the other rooms of the museum, there are interesting prehistoric finds from Marsala and the surrounding area. Of particular importance are a large jar of fruit found in Mozia which, according to critics, dates back the so-called "culture of Thapsos", and various stone tools of the Upper Paleolithic. In other glass there are various objects found at Mothya of Phoenician age, as a funerary urn and a pair of jewels.
The finds from the necropolis consist of a "lekythos" [a vessel with a narrow body, used for oils and ointments] with a Punic inscription of the third century BC, a bronze mirror (III century BC) and two Punic stelae (IV-III century BC). The inscriptions of the stelae, depicting human figures, generally mention the name of the deceased and his genealogy or profession. There are also some finds of pottery decorated with the figure of a swan, and some funerary finds of the third century AD. Of considerable prestige are the mosaics on the floor, perhaps representing an ibex (early fifth century AD).
Marsala old town
The Old Town in Marsala is part of the so-called "Cassaro", an area once enclosed by walls, some of which remain and date back to the time of Spanish rule.
Among the most significant monuments of the city, first see the monastery of the “Annunziata dei Carmelitani”, dating from the 12th century. The bell tower of the Carmine church was built in the 16th century and rebuilt in the 18th by Giovanni Biagio Amico (1684-1754), royal architect of Trapani, who retained the original structure and the old proportions. The bell tower is very famous for the spiral staircase in yellow tuff.
The monastery annexed to the Church probably goes back to the 14th century and is rich in frescoes - the authors are unknown, but we find the style of a local school of painting, which was characterized by a predilection for subjects of religious character. The church, with a nave, shows Renaissance and Baroque motifs.
A true pride of Marsala is certainly the church of St. John, of the 16th century; it is well known for its underground vaults where there is a spring, generally referred to the existence of the oracular cult linked to water, the so-called "Cave of the Sibyl.” The "Cave of the Sibyl" is located under the church of St. John the Baptist, and it was built in the mid-16th century by the Jesuits on the “Capo Boeo”, near the coast. The cave consists of a central hall, circular in shape, connected with two other rooms. The central room, carved into the rock, is covered by a low dome, built in masonry. At its center there is a square basin full of water. In front of the cave is a large stone altar with the marble statue of St. John the Baptist, dating from the fifteenth century.
Archaeological sites near Marsala
Outside the city there are two important archaeological sites: the excavations of the ancient Lylibaeum and of the so-called "Insula Romana", and those of Mozia, in the island of San Pantaleo.
Lylibauem
with regard to Lylibaeum, note that in the area of Capo Boeo the remains of many houses were found in 1939, of which the most important is the so-called "insula", dating back to the II - I century BC. The Latin term "insula" designated the adjacent houses, a kind of commonhold, whose residents were known as "insularii". Next to the “insula” was found a “Domus” [the private residence of citizens of high rank], which has a tessellated floor, atrium, peristyle and thermae.
Other buildings date back to the Imperial Age, which were abandoned in the fourth century AD, because of an earthquake and invasions of the Vandals. At Lylibaeum particularly interesting are the ancient Punic and Medieval fortifications, which in effect rendered the city almost impregnable. During the Punic age, next to the wall there was also a wide moat. The moat and the walls are coeval and probably date from the fourth century BC
The medieval castle of Marsala stood at the point where the Punic ditch formed a right angle. It was originally characterized by a court with three square towers and one circular. The castle of Marsala is presumably of Norman origin, even if it was restored by Frederick II of Swabia [1194-1250). The necropolis of the ancient city, dating from the fourth century BC, presents various archaeological finds. Among the stelae, among the most interesting is the one dedicated to the god “Ba'al Hammon”, bearing various symbols relating to Punic religion, that is a priest who prays before a "thymiaterion" [the thymiaterion is an incense burner, formerly used for Spiritual and Religious Purposes], the symbol of the god Tanit.
Another group of stelae, dating from the I-II century AD and in the shape of a small building with columns and pillars, are of limestone, covered with a thick layer of white plaster on which are painted in bright colors, banquet scenes, flowers, Greek inscriptions and the symbol of the god Tanit with the caduceus. The presence of Punic symbols is the proof of the persistence up to the late Roman period of the ancient Punic religious culture.
Mozia
Among the Phoenician-Punic cities of Sicily, Mozia holds many important archaeological finds, such as the so-called "Tophet", where, according to tradition, the Phoenicians practiced the sacrifice of children. Several stelae were also found in Motya, which together form a unique repertoire of the Phoenician-Punic sculpture. The iconology of Mothya recalls various subjects of the Syro-Palestinian area and of the Middle East.
Marsala: nature, tradition and cuisine
Finally, we stress that the island of San Pantaleo is part of a nature trail known as the “Laguna dello Stagnone”, in which we can see the salt-works with old mills.
For wine lovers, we recommend a visit to the wineries of Marsala, and a tasting of some local specialities such as couscous, which originated from the Arab cuisine, the "eggplant caponata”, "carpaccio of swordfish," "Sicilian Cassata," and finally "pasta alla Norma" and "pasta with sardines."
See also Marsala history and etymology.
See the the Sicily travel guide for more places to visit in the same region as Marsala.