< 1 day
On foot
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History
In the waters around its sea, in 241 BC, a naval battle of the First Punic War was fought, of which the Punic ship of Marsala is preserved in the Museo Archeologico Baglio Anselmi.
In 397 BC the Phoenician colony of Mozia, which flourished 8 centuries before Christ on the island of Mozia, was invaded and destroyed by the tyrant of Syracuse Dionysius I. The survivors took refuge on the Sicilian coast and strengthened the coastal settlement to which they first gave the name of Lebum which in Phoenician means "towards Africa" and then the name of Lilibeo, from Lilýbaion which is "the city overlooking Libya", because Lybia was then called the whole northern coast of Africa.
Lilibeo passed into the hands of the Romans, who called it Lilybaeum, in 241 BC to become one of the most important centers in the Mediterranean.
Devastated by the Vandals at the beginning of the 5th century AD, it was annexed to the Justinian empire in the 6th century and lived through dark centuries, marked by the lack of interest in Byzantium and by pirate raids. The arrival in the eighth century of the Arab-Berbers under the contiguous Mount Granitola also marked the resumption of commercial traffic and the beginning of the rebirth of the city, which was called َمـــ ْر َـــسى َـعــليّ (marsā ʿaliyy) that is "port of Alì", located at Punta d'Alga, later to be called َمــــــــــــــــــ ْر َــــســــــــــــــ ى ا. (marsā llāh) that is the "port of God". Economic and demographic growth led to an important urban development, based on the Arab model.
Photo of Marsala, by Angelo Esposito on Pexels
Today, the city is famous for the landing of Garibaldi and the Mille on 11 May 1860 and for the production of the homonymous Marsala wine, for which, since 1987, it has been Città del Vino (city of wine).
Attractions
Marsala has different places of interest that deserve to be visited.
Porta Garibaldi
One of the places of historical and national fame is Porta Garibaldi, famous for the passage of Giuseppe Garibaldi and the Thousand on 11 May 1860. From this point, in fact, the process of unification of Italy as a nation began.
Together with Porta Nuova, Porta Garibaldi constitutes one of the two surviving gates of the city, which once were four.
Photo of the Porta Garibaldi, by Mboesch on Wikipedia
Near Porta Nuova, however, it is possible to admire the beautiful buildings in the center, including Palazzo Fici and Palazzo Burgio-Spanò.
Piazza della Repubblica
From Porta Garibaldi it is possible to reach Piazza della Repubblica, where the majestic Parrocchia San Tommaso di Canterbury stands, known as the Chiesa Madre.
Photo of the Chiesa Madre, by Mboesch on Wikipedia
In addition to this, it is worth visiting the "minor" churches: the Chiesa del Purgatorio, with its delightful two-tiered Baroque facade, and the Chiesa dell'Addolorata, whose construction is linked to a miracle.
Antico Mercato
Immediately after Porta Garibaldi there is also the Antico Mercato, a fish market that dates back to 1591. Today, it is animated by the voices of the fishermen who enhance the freshness and goodness of the proposed product.
At night, the market leaves room for various clubs and pubs where it is possible to drink drinks in company and listen to music.
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Photo of the entrance of the Antico Mercato, by Alessandro Pace on Wikipedia
Villa Cavallotti
At the exit from the historic center from Porta Nuova there is Villa Cavallotti or Giardino Cavallotti. In this green strip, you can take a walk or find refreshments in summer.
Photo of the Villa Cavallotti, by Otrebla86 on Wikipedia
Parco Archeologico di Lilibeo
In the historical introduction of the city, mention was made of the discovery of a Punic ship.
If you are interested in seeing it, the Parco Archeologico di Lilibeo e Museo Archeologico Regionale Lilibeo di Marsala – Baglio Anselmi is the place where it is now exhibited.
Photo of the Parco Archeologico di Lilibeo, by Lylybetano on Wikipedia
Capo Boeo
If, on the other hand, you want to visit the place where the ancient Carthaginian city of Lilibeo once stood, visit Capo Boeo, on the extreme western tip of Sicily. Here there is a promenade that can be covered on foot while observing the Egadi islands in the distance.
Photo of Capo Boeo from an equipped beach, by Pizzodaniele on Wikipedia
The Laguna dello Stagnone is the largest lagoon in Sicily and has been a nature reserve since 1984. It is a body of water in which 4 islands emerge - the Isola Grande, which protects the lagoon from the open sea, San Pantaleo, Santa Maria, and Schola - and, to make everything more magical, salt pans with windmills characterize it. the profile. A truly enchanted place, which gives its best at sunset.
San Pantaleo and Museo del Sale
The only island that can be visited is that of San Pantaleo, where the Phoenician city of Mozia once stood, captured, and destroyed around 400 BC. by the tyrant of Syracuse Dionisio I.
Photo of the island of San Pantaleo, by trolvag on Wikipedia
On the island of San Pantaleo you can get there by ferry that can be taken from two places: either at the historic pier or from the Museo del sale.
In addition to being able to visit the Museo del Sale, it is possible to contemplate the beauty of the salt flats, known as the Saline, interspersed with photogenic windmills, still used today for pumping water and grinding salt. In certain seasons of the year, sunsets turn the water pink and, sometimes, it is possible to see flamingos.
Photo of the Museo del sale, by Leopictures on Pixabay
Photo of the Saline, by Angelo Esposito on Pexels
Photo of the windmill at sunset, by Joshua Kettle on Unsplash
Food
Marsala is worldwide famous for its wine production. Several wineries offer guided tours lasting about an hour, followed by tasting.
Cantine Florio
The most famous winery is undoubtedly Cantine Florio: one of the oldest wineries in Sicily, particularly known for the production of Marsala wine. It was born in 1833 in Marsala by the entrepreneur Vincenzo Florio, for the production of Marsala wine. Thanks to the fleet of merchant ships owned by the Florio family and its international commercial organization, Marsala became the dessert wine most served on the tables of the European bourgeoisie and began to be exported also to the United States of America. Today, in addition to Marsala, it also produces Moscato and Passito di Pantelleria.
Photo of the entrance of the Cantine Florio, by Chris on Wikipedia
Saline
At the famous Saline, in addition to admiring the beauty of the maritime landscape, the production of salt, the nature that changes appearance in the various seasonal cycles, with alternating colors and species, it is also possible to stop for an aperitif, usually preferable at sunset time. The two main places where you can drink and eat something while contemplating the beauty of the salt pans are Saline Genna and Mamma Caura.
Photo of the Saline, by Angelo Esposito on Pexels
As far as food in general is concerned, here is some advises about places where to eat in Marsala:
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Antica Pasticceria da Gaetano is the place you want to go for breakfast. Here you can have different traditional pastries;
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La Vecchia Salumeria is a delicatessen where you can taste mainly cured meat and cheeses. Their specialty is the traditional pani cunzatu, a typical dish of the Trapani area, which consists of bread seasoned with oil, salt, tomato, anchovies, cheese, and other fresh foods, typical of Sicilian cuisine;
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Osteria il gallo e l’innamorata is a traditional tavern where you can enjoy delicious dishes, where fresh local fish is the protagonist.
Tips
ZTL
The center of Marsala is a limited traffic zone (ZTL), so it is advisable, in order to avoid sanctions, not to travel through it with unauthorized vehicles and, rather, to find parking outside its perimeter.
Parking
A recommended car park is Porta Nuova. This is a free car park with a capacity of one hundred cars.