TRAPANI, SICILY Trapani is a coastal town on the northwest coast of Sicily. The city developed as a Sican village, later called by the Greeks Drepanon (sickle) possibly because of the shape of the promontory the old city was placed on. In the 8th Cent. BC it became a Phoenician port of call and, in the first Punic War, a Carthaginian strategic base. Later, under the Romans, it was a minor trade and maritime center. In 440 AD, it was invaded by the Vandals, in 477 it fell to the Byzantines, and in about 830 it was taken by the Muslims, who made it one of the richest and most prosperous cities in Sicily, developing its maritime activities and its gold and coral handicraft. The Normans conquered it in 1077. In 1282 it took part in the uprising against the Angevins (the War of the Sicilian Vespers). Between the 13th and 15th centuries, its size was extended. It started to decline in the late 16th century. In the following century, Charles V fortified the town walls and trade again prospered. Many new salt-pans were created, some of which are still active today. However, this did not stop the general decline of the economy. In 1860, it was actively involved in uprisings against the Bourbons and, even before the arrival of Garibaldi and his army, forced them to fee the city. Of interest is the Museo Pepoli and the Palazzo d'Ali (20th cent.) which houses the town hall. Also the Palazzo Adragna-Riccio, Palazzo Cavarretta (18th cent.), Torre di Ligny (1671), Museo della Preistoria e Protostoria, Torre della Colombaia, Lazzaretto, and Palazzo della Giudecca (16th cent.). There is also the Museo del Sale and nature reserve. Very interesting is the Procession of the Mysteries that takes place on the Good Friday night.
Situated at the hearth of a large
valley thriving with vineyards, Its name derives from the Arab
"Manzil Alkamah". Alcamo Castle was built in 1340 by
Raimondo Peralta. But it developed some years later with Guarnerio
Ventimiglia, who enlarged both the Castle and the Matrice. Alcamo
became a wealthy and important town because of its location and
wheat cultivation. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, the town
was divided into quarters by buildings constructed by numerous
religious orders, extending the town outside the medieval walls.
After the unification of Italy, the convents were transformed
for civil purposes and the city walls were again restructured,
leaving the ancient town layout intact. Of interest is also the
Mother Church, the Badia Nuova and the Badia Vecchia, Chiesa
della Annunziata, the Conti di Modica Castle, the Torre De Ballis.
The little town of Byzantine
origin, was an old hamlet belonging to the territory of Erice.
Its name derives from the Arab "Busit" and from the
Palizzolo family to whom it was assigned by emperor Charles V
in 1563.
Calatafimi, a town of ancient
Arab origin and the setting of the famous historic battle between
the Boubons and Garibaldi's soldiers in 1860, is situated in
the ancient "Vallo di Mazara", its territory is characterized
by a series of low hills, interrupted by isolated rises including
the rocky ridge of Segesta, and decorated by a complex network
of waterways, in fact many watermills "Mulini ad acqua",
were built along its banks. Of interest is the "Vallone
della Fusa", the Church of the Madonna del Giubino, the
Norman Chiesa del Carmine.
Campobello di Mazara is situated
in the lower valley of the River Modione, near its mouth. The
town was founded in 1623 by Giuseppe di Napoli, who in 1630 was
given a dukedom. Of interest is the Baronial Palace and the Mother
Church. Near the town are the Cave di Cusa, ancient quarries
from which the Selinuntines extracted stone for the construction
of the temples.
In pre-Hellenic days, it was
the chief port of the Elymian cities of Erice and Segesta. During
the Middle Ages it developed around the castle near the sea.
Originally a drawbridge must have linked the castle to the town.
After the invention of the tunny-fishery and the wheat-loader,
the town began to play an important economic and strategic role.
The greatest phase of development was after 1560 when Pietro
de Luna obtained the "licentia populandi". Of special
interest is the Castle, the Mother Church (16th century).
Castelvetrano is situated in
a valley between the Delia and Belice rivers. The town's old
centre is marked by many palaces and churches of different styles,
ranging from Renaissance influences to early Catalan baroque.
Bulidings of great artistic relevance include: the Mother Church,
with decorations by Gaspare Serpotta, the church of St. Domenico,
the Church of Purgatorio, housing the Perosi auditorium, the
13th centuty Palazzo Pignatelli and the Arab-Byzantine church
of the Trinità di Delia (13th century).
Custonaci rose at the end of
18th century. It is one of the most famous Italian center of
marble industry, which overlooks the valley from its beautiful
Santuario della Madonna. Of interest is also the nearby hamlet
of Borgo di Scurati, a group of little houses constructed in
the shelter of an enormous grotto inhabited since the upper Paleolithic
age. Also interesting is the Grotta Miceli, the Grotta Scurati,
and the Presepe Vivente (the Animated Crib).
Favignana: The Greek called the
island Aegusa, but it was named Famignana after the wind Favonio
during the Middle Ages. It looks like a big butterfly. Its waters
keep the secrets of ancient battles as the terrible battle of
the Egadi in 241 B.C. fought at Cala Rossa by the Romans and
the Carthaginians. The island's prosperity has been linked to
the Florio family from the second half of the 19th century till
the first decades of this century. Palazzo Florio, built around
1876, is certainly a symbol of the island. Of interest is the
famous Tonnara Florio, an imposing tuna fish establishment and
a superb example of industrial archaeology. Very impressive is
the Mattanza, an age-old rite that takes place around three times
weekly in May and June, when, under the head fisherman, or rais,
the tuna-fishes are surrounded, netted and then impaled and beaten
to death. The island is famous for its marvellous coasts and
for the incredible colours of its sea; there is an infinite number
of "cale" (small bays), with suggestive reefs and white
sand beaches that will offer magic moments to every sea lover.
On the top of Mount St. Giuliano,
lies the town of Erice, overlooking Trapani, the valley and the
sea, from a superb scenic location. It was inhabited by the Elymians,
who erected a temple dedicated to the worship of the Godness
of fecundity and love. On the ruins of the temple stands the
"Castello di Venere" fortified during the Norman rule.
Erice was contended by the Syracusans and by the Carthaginians
till the Roman conquest in 248 B.C.. During the Arab invasion
it was called Gebel Hamed. Of interest is the Town Walls of Elymian
origin (8th century B.C.) at whose corner stand the Norman castle,
the Spanish quarter and the Mother Church (1314), the Cordici
museum.
Its name derives from the Arab "Gebel".
In 1968 the town was destroyed by the earthquake occurred in
the Belice Valley. The new Gibellina has been built such as a
kind of permanent museum of sculptures by Arnaldo Pomodoro, Consagra,
Isgrò and many others, scattered through the streets and
the buildings. Among the artists, Alberto Burri, who created
the "Cretto", an artificial scenery to memorize the
past and the catastrophic event.
Founded as a Carthaginian colony
in 397 BC following the destruction of the nearby settlement
on the island of Mozia by the Syracusans, the ancient Phoenician
village of "Lilibeo", was ideally situated as a naval
base. The Romans conquered it in 241 BC following the great sea
battle that also led to the conquest of Drepanum. Cicero, who
visited in 75 BC, described it as a "splendid city."
The Arabs changed its name in Mars-Ali. Of interest is the Palazzo
Senatorio called "La Loggia", the Norman Cathedral,
the Museo degli Arazzi, with magnificent 16th century Flemish
tapestries.
Today's one of the most important
ports of call for Mediterranean fishing, Mazara del Vallo was
an ancient Phoenician port. The old city is surrounded b a square
perimeter and has preserved the residential characteristics of
the Muslim settlements in Sicily. Intensively developed under
the Arabs (827), in 1093 became the Episcopal See and in 1907
it housed the first Norman Parliament in Sicily. Of interest
is the Mother Church, the Seminary of the Clerics, the Palazzo
Vescovile and the Churches of St. Ignazio, S. Caterina and St.
Egidio del Carmine.
The old Motya, in the centre
of the lagoon of the Stagnone di Marsala, was one of the most
important Mediterranean colonies of the Phoenician-Punic civilization
founded around the 8th-7th century B.C. In the 6th century the
expansion of the Carthaginian Empire and the rivalry with the
Greek colonies led Mozia to set up a defense system which gradually
became more and more solid. However, this was not enough to resist
to the assault by Dionysius of Syracuse, who in 397 BC besieged
the island using a new weapon, the catapult. In 1800 an English
businessman in the wine trade, Joseph Withacker, very interested
in archaeology, began to dig the area. The most important archaeological
finds, such as the Statue of "Giovinetto di Mozia",
an exceptional Greek masterpiece of the 5th century B.C., can
be seen in the Museum "Withacker Foundation".
Inhabited since the Neolithic
era, the ancient "Kossyra", a volcanic island set between
Africa and Sicily, can be considered a true nature paradise,
the precious black pearl of the Mediterranean Sea. Rich in splendid
coasts, beaches, singular rock formations, grottoes the island
is an important halting place for migratory birds. Pantelleria
still shows residual signs of its ancient volcanic activity both
around the now extinct crater of Montagna Grande, where there
are the outlets called "Cuddie" and inside the crater
itself, where there is the "Specchio di Venere" a fascinating
pool fed by thermal springs.
Situated between the Modione
and Belice valleys, was probably an old Sicanian settlements.
The oldest part of the town centre, surrounded by walls, was
built in the 14th century, around the castle of the Mother Church.
In 1139 it became a fief of the Grifeos, who were raised to the
title of Princes in 1627 and their named altered to Graffeo.
In Poggioreale you can admire
the clay shards of the 6th century B.C., found in Monte Castellazzo
as well as the contemporary square designed by the architect
Paolo Portoghesi.
The agriculture center of Salaparuta
is of Arab origin. Its old name Menzi Salah, means the Lady's
hamlet. In the 15th century it became a feud owned by the Paruta
family who founded the urban centre at the foot of the Medieval
castle. Of interest are the remains of the medieval castle restored
in the 18th century.
The ancient Halicyae, of Sican
or Elymian origin, was an ally of Segesta in the war against
Syracuse and, under the Romans, one of the five free and immune
cities of Sicily. In the Middle Ages, the Arabs extended its
defensive and urban structures and named the town. Under the
Aragonese, it was disputed by the most powerful families of the
Sicilian nobility but it soon became a city of the royal domain.
In the Castle of Salemi, Garibaldi, assumed the title of "Dictator
of Sicily" in the name of Victor Emmanuel, "King of
Italy", thus underlying the strictly monarchic and unifying
intentions of this military undertaking. The town of Salemi was
severely damaged by the earthquake in 1968. Some of the buildings
that could be saved have been restored, while a new town has
been constructed further down the valley, to which part of the
population have moved. Of interest is the 13th century Castle,
built by Frederick II of Swabia. It is trapezoidal in plan and
has corner towers. Also of interest are the Museo Civico in the
old Collegio dei Gesuiti (17th century) and the Palazzo del Comune.
Situated between Segesta and
Selinunte, the town of Santa Ninfa is immersed in beautiful woods.
Of interest is the Museum of Ethnology and anthropology and "The
Castle of Rampinzeri" recently restored. Also interesting
is the 1350 m.-long karst cave of Santa Ninfa, unique in Europe
for its bizarre concretions and gypsum crystals.
A fishing village developed around
an old Saracen fortress, later turned into a shrine dedicated
to San Vito. The town is located in one of the most beautiful
coast of the island, with white sandy beaches. Only few km. far
from San Vito Lo Capo is probably one of the most seductive and
unspoilt places on the island: the "Zingaro", a natural
reserve of primitive beauty.
Scopello is a very beautiful
small seafaring village risen round to a 17th century rural farm.
The wonderful steeps needles of Scopello rise bristly and are
covered by vegetation. Of interest is the old "tonnara"
with its magnificent view on the cliffs.
Founded by the Elymi, the ancient
rival of Selinunte, at just over 400 meters above sea level on
mountain Barbaro, shows two beautiful works: the Temple and the
Theatre. Perfectly preserved, the 5th century Siculian-doric
temple stands imposingly on a hillock in the middle of a picturesque
valley. On the highest peak of mountain there is the Greek theatre
dating 2nd century B.C. which could contain 4000 spectators.
Often fought over by Greeks and Carthaginians, highly vulnerable
for its position, Segesta allied with Carthage in the 6th century.
Then, after the battle of Himera in the year 480 BC with Athens.
When the Athenian mission against Syracuse failed miserably,
it turned for help to the Carthaginians, who destroyed Selinunte
and absorbed it entirely. It was besieged by Dionysius of Syracuse
and then, once the Carthaginians have been defeated, seized by
Timoleon and later by Agathocles. It joined Pyrrhus in the tentative
to free the Greeks in Sicily, but when he withdrew, it fell again
under Carthaginian domination. It prospered under the Romans.
It disappeared in the Middle Ages after being destroyed and ransacked
by the Vandals.
Selinunte, from the Greek "Sèlinon,
was founded by Doric farmers coming from Megara Iblea in 700
BC.. It is undoubtedly one of the most important archaeological
area of the Mediterranean and the only Greek city of which the
inhabited area is preserved to a certain extent, and the majesty
of the ruins is evidence of the greatness of the colony. The
temples are indicated with letters because it was not possible
to identify the divinity they were dedicated to, and the archaeological
area is divided in three sections: the Eastern Temples, the Acropolis,
and the Extra Urban Sanctuary. The Eastern Temples, near one
another, are identified with the letters E F and G. The last
one, started in the year 530 BC and never finished, is among
the most colossal construction of ancient times with a surface
of 7000 square meters. The E temple is considered for his proportions
and his particularity the most perfect example of the Doric style
in Sicily. Recently archaeological reports attribute to the temple
F to have been dedicated to the goddess Hera or to Aphrodite.
In the Acropolis, placed high up from the sea, there are the
older temples A C and D, protected by the fortifications and
by the grand boundary walls., the ancient city and two necropolises.
We recommend a visit to the archaeological museum of Palermo,
where are kept many and priceless materials that decorated the
temples of Selinunte, the famous "Metope".
Situated on a hill and nearly
jutting out to the sea, the town is surrounded by a pine forest.
On the coast the old tower of a "tonnara" testifies
business activities linked to the tuna fishing and processing
industries. Of interest is also the Paleolithic cave of "Scurati"
on the slopes of Mount Cofano.
The village of Vita originated
in 1604 from a medieval hamlet in the feudal territory of Calatafimi.
From here one can set off on a journey through the nature trails
of the Bosco della Baronia.
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