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Visit Paceco
Paceco is a town situated to the western end of Sicily, in the valley of Mazara about three miles from Trapani.
On a hill at 30-40 meters above sea level, it is a farming town that has been inhabited since the Paleolithic and Neolithic, in a landscape that bears witness to the presence of an ancient civilization and consisting of Mediterranean vegetation in picturesque scenery.
Paceco is a town with a first-rate artistic and natural heritage. The churches are of considerable prestige, starting with the Mother Church, dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria and dating from 1615-1623. The Mother Church has a nave and holds four paintings, donated by Princess Maria Fardella, depicting "Santa Rosalia" and “San Carlo Borromeo”. The artist is uncertain: Ferdinando Bologna attributed them to Andrea Malinconico (1624-1698), while others argue that they are of the Sicilian school of the late 17th century. Artist aside, the critics consider the two works to be among the best in the Trapani area
Also worthy of a mention are the Church of the Rosary, of Baroque style; the church of “San Francesco di Paola”, which has some works by Antonello Gagini (1478-1536); and the Church of Portosalvo.
Just a kilometer away from Paceco we find an ancient and historically very important artifact, the so-called "Misiligiafari Tower" (called the" Tozzazza"), which was for a long time the official residence of the Fardella. It was located in a property of Arab origin called "Misiligiafari" (the name comes from the term "manzil", meaning a "resting place where one dismounts from one’s horse"). The tower is a fortress located on a hill on the site of earlier Arab and Norman castles.
Salt Works Natural Reserve, Paceco
To enjoy the natural landscape around Paceco head for the Natural Reserve of Salt-Works, which has a landscape among the most picturesque to be found in Italy. A visit can be enjoyed in a tranquil atmosphere among tanks, canals and mills, while walking along listening to the calls of many varieties of birds that inhabit the salt marshes. The environment is home to the plants that have adapted to these unusual conditions and along the channels there are interesting plants such as the "Posidonia oceanica”, and several rare plant species such as the “calendula maritima”, and the so-called “mushroom of Malta.”
The Reserve is also of exceptional importance for its fauna. About 200 species have been identifies and among these stand out the herons, gulls, flamingos, spoonbills, marsh hawks and more than 5,000 ducks that have found refuge in the tanks. The Natural Reserve is also home to the “Salt Museum” that exhibits typical equipment relating to the work that took place in the salt-works.
Paceco cuisine
After your peaceful stroll through the reserve, stop at one of the many small local restaurants in the region to sample the "busiati", fresh pasta with tuna sauce, mint and almonds, the couscous with fish "alla trapanese”, "spaghetti" with mullet and lobster soup, all with accompanying wines produced in Paceco, among the best of Sicily, as are its famous "yellow melons."
See also Paceco history and etymology.
See the the Sicily travel guide for more places to visit in the same region as Paceco.