Marsala, Sicily

Marsala, the largest municipality in the province of Trapani, is definitely one of the places in the western area that is worth visiting not only for its natural landmarks, the Stagnone lagoon and the Saltpans just to name the most famous, but also because boasts a remarkable history and culture.

Index

• History
• The Stagnone Lagoon and the Island of Mozia
• The Saltpans
• The Marsala wine production
• Food
• Where to eat in Marsala
• Beaches in Marsala
• Safety
• Weather in Marsala
• How to get to Marsala
• Fun facts about Marsala

History

Founded by the Phoenicians in the 4th century BC, the city was initially called Lylibeum, meaning “the city that looks towards Libya”, and only with the arrival of the Arabic domination, in the 8th century and thanks to a remarkable economic growth, the Arabs changed its name into Marsa Alì (port of Ali) first, which then was transformed into Marsa Allah (port of Allah).

Over the centuries, Marsala has seen the passage of Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans and is also renowned from a historical point of view for the docking of the Thousand (“I Mille“), who, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, on the 11th of May 1860, entered through the city wall, which today is called Porta Garibaldi in his honour starting the process of the Italian unification. This wall is still visible in the city center.

The city stands on Capo Boeo, (also known as Capo Lilibeo), which is the extreme western tip of Sicily, and overlooks the island of Favignana, the largest of the Egadi Archipelago.

The town historical centre has several buildings and churches in elegant Baroque Style, in particular the Cathedral, built in 1176 by the Normans is both Norman inside, but has a baroque facade.

If you are a history lover you do not want to miss the Baglio Anselmi Museum, built around 1880 which was a Marsala wine factory and then became a museum since 1986. The most important pieces of the museum are the remainings of a Punic and a Roman ship.

One of the most popular and iconic spots to visit in Marsala is the busy and noisy Fish Market, which at the end of the day becomes the place for nightlife, as it is full of clubs and pubs.

The Stagnone Lagoon and the Island of Mozia

The natural reserve of the Stagnone (which literally means “big pond”) with its crystal-clear water is one of Sicilians’ pride and is just in front of the town of Marsala. It includes four islands; the biggest one is San Pantaleo, best known as Mothia – which was the ancient name of the city. To get to Mozia you can get the Imbarcadero, or, if the water level is low, because of the shoal, you can walk up to the Island directly.

There you will see the remainings of the ancient Phoenician town, as well as the archeological museum dedicated to Joseph Whitaker, an English ornithologist.

The other famous feature of the lagoon is the constant wind blowing from the west side. This weather condition made it the ideal place for all kitesurf and windsurf aficionados that want to practice these sports. Both kitesurf and windsurf have increasingly become more and more popular in the area, with several events that attract people from every corner of the world.

The Saltpans

In the Stagnone, which has salt water, you can admire the Saltpans, strips of land where a very high-quality sea salt has been produced since the Phoenician era. This precious element, which is an essential ingredient for the Sicilian cuisine, was also used to preserve food for centuries and the production has always been a successful business activity for this entire area.

A peculiarity of the saltpans is their colour, especially in the Summer season, when these panels are full of salt ready to be collected, they get illuminated by the sun and sparkle, creating a very impactful and breathtaking scene that always amuses tourists.

The Marsala wine production

Another pride of the city is certainly the wine production throughout the whole Trapani coastline and the surrounding hills. The area is well renowned for several varieties of wine, but in particular for the production of the exquisite Marsala, a DOC fortified wine, which has only indigenous cultivar (grapes) and has been exported all over the world since the end of the 18th century.

The strong bond between Marsala and Britain all started with John Woodhouse, an English entrepreneur from Liverpool, who visited the area and loved it so much that decided to settle there and start its own Marsala production, which of course attracted other businessmen and merchants from England like Ingham, Whitaker and Hopps.

Alongside with the Brits and thanks in particular to the Ingham’s connection and business skills, the Marsala wine started to be produced also by Vincenzo Florio, heir of the Florio innovative dinasty, which shaped the Sicilian economy and culture for many decades.

The Marsala wine, normally aged in barrels for 24 months, it is obtained by adding alcohol to wine (while to make Port they add brandy instead) and has an alcohol content of roughly 17% or 18% degrees, depending if it is dry, semi-dry or sweet. For this reason Marsala has usually three hues of colour: amber, ruby and gold depending on the quality of grapes used for production.

It also can have hints of candied citrus fruits, nutty flavour and notes of anise and spices. It is perfect to be paired with Sicilian sweets such ‘cannoli’ or, with the almond patisserie, but it is also superlative for cooking.

Food

Talking about food it is impossible not to mention the superlative cuisine of Marsala and the whole province of Trapani. First and foremost you need to try the Cous Cous cooked and served with a fresh fish soup, which is a real must, one you try this version you will never go back!

Another typical dish is the local handmade pasta called Busiate with tuna ragù or the traditional pesto trapanese (a sauce made of fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil and roasted almonds), the arancine, which are more of a street food, and generally speaking, anything with fish is worth trying (from fried squid to swordfish rolls) as the fish is extremely fresh and superbly cooked.

It is worth mentioning a brief note about the couscous, because this dish was introduced during the Arabic domination by the fishermen and it has always been considered a symbol of cultural integration. Originally from Tunisia, in the whole Trapani province this dish was given a new life with the use of fish instead of the more traditional meat and vegetables used in North Africa.

In the dessert department the main protagonist is the ricotta cream, which fills the famous Cassatedde, Cannoli and the Cassata cake.

Where to eat in Marsala

The food and wine heritage that Sicily offers is unparalleled, and Marsala is no exception. The recipes, often passed down from generation to generation, reflect the love for food as well as the several influences that every population left over the centuries, shaping the way we cook, eat and enjoy food and wine.

Try local restaurants for a welcoming atmosphere and an unparalleled food experience, as eating out where the locals actually eat is always the best choice for tourists, as they get to taste the real flavours and products of Marsala, so you definitely cannot go wrong with that!

The undisputed star on the tables of Marsala’s restaurants is, without a doubt, fish. What you see is literally what you get, as normally you can have the super fresh fish caught by the local fishermen the night before. This combined with the culinary art and the Sicilian tradition creates those delicious and inviting dishes that are so unforgettable to our hearts and palates.

Beaches in Marsala

When you want to enjoy a day at the seaside, you are in the right place, as Marsala has more than 10 kilometers of beaches you can choose from, offering both sand and rocks. The most popular are Lido Mediterraneo, Lido Delfino, and Lido Signorini with their crystal-clear waters. These are all sandy beaches, with several shops, places to eat and leisure activities nearby, as they are close to the city and you can reach them by public transports or by bycicle.

Some sections of the coastline are actually free and open to everybody, other parts have well equipped beachfront resorts, where you normally have to pay to use the facilities.

In the Northern area you can experience the white sandy beaches of San Teodoro, where the water has more of a turquoise nuance and is often quite warm. Both San Teodoro and the Stagnone lagoon with their beautiful surrounding nature, are perfect for families with children as one of their characteristics is having very shallow waters, that sometimes, with low tides barely reach bathers’ ankles.

Safety

Generally speaking, Marsala is a fairly quiet and safe city in terms of crime. Of course, it is always important to follow common-sense rules, such as not carrying large sums of money, being aware of the people around us, and taking care of our personal belongings at all times, especially valuable ones such as phones, identity documents or cameras.

Weather in Marsala

Depending on what your main interests are Marsala has a great weather all year around. The best seasons are Spring and Autumn, as the temperature is very mild and pleasant. Of course Summer is ideal for swimming and sunbathing, but is also the hottest period, between July and August. You can certainly swim from June to October. January and February are usually the coldest months but the temperature is approximately between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius.

How to get to Marsala

The closest airport to Marsala is the “Vincenzo Florio” Airport in Birgi (TP), which is roughly 20 km north from Marsala. From the airport you can take a taxi, a coach/bus (Autoservizi Salemi is the company) or rent a car to reach your destination.

There are several airlines that fly to Birgi-Trapani daily from both the main cities in Italy and Europe.

If you rent a car there are two ways to reach Marsala: the E90 continuing on the A29 highway towards Marsala, or via the E90 towards Mazara del Vallo and then continue onto the SS115 for Marsala.

There is a train station, very close to the center of the town, where you can get trains to/from Palermo and Trapani (north), or to/from Mazara del Vallo (south).

If you want to travel by sea you can also reach Marsala from either the ports of Trapani or Palermo. The Port of Marsala is mainly used for tourism and offers hydrofoils and mini-cruise ships to the Egadi Islands.

Fun facts about Marsala