Marsala

Marsala is a seaport ceety locatit in the Province o Trapani on the island o Sicily in Italy. The law coast on which it is situatit is the wastmaist point o the island. It is best kent as the soorce o Marsala wine.

Marsala
Comune
Città di Marsala
Marsala salt ponds
Coat airms
Marsala Location o Marsala in Italy
Coordinates: 37°48′N 12°26′E
Kintra	Italy
Region	Sicily
Province	Trapani (TP)
Govrenment
• Mayor	Lorenzo Carini
Area
• Total	241.6 km2 (93.3 sq mi)
Elevation	3 m (10 ft)
Population  (30 November 2010)
• Total	82,765
• Density	340/km2 (890/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Marsalesi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	91025
Diallin code	0923
Patron saunt	Oor Lady o the Cave (Madonna della Cava)
Saunt day	19 Januar
Website	Offeecial wabsteid

Kirk o the Purgatory.

History

Marsala occupees the steid o Lilybaeum, the principal stranghauld o the Carthaginians in Sicily, foondit bi Himilco in 396 BC efter the abandonment o Motya. Neither Pyrrhus nor the Romans wur able tae reduce it bi siege, but it wis surrendered tae the latter in 241 BC at the end o the First Punic War as a condition o the peace treaty. In the later wars it wis a stairtin point for the Roman expeditions against Carthage, an unner Roman rule it enjoyed considerable prosperity. It obtained municipal richts frae Augustus an became a colony unner either Pertinax or Septimius Severus.

The Arabs gave it its present name "Marsala," which aiblins is derivit frae the Arab "Marsa Allah" (port o Allah) or, mair probably, frae "Marsa ‘Alī" ("port o Ali", or "Marsa ‘āliyy", "great port"). The huge auncient harbor that lay on the northeast wis destroyed bi Charles V in the 16t century, tae prevent its occupation bi pirates. The modren harbor lees tae the sootheast.

On 11 Mey 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi an his Expedition o the Thoosan landit at Marsala an began his campaign tae owerthrow Bourbon rule in Sicily, durin the Unification o Italy process.

Geography

The ceety is situatit on the Mediterranean coast, in the soothwastren side o Sicily. It lees on the road atween Trapani an Mazara del Vallo.

Main sichts

Little remains o the auncient Lilybaeum. Fragments o the ceety waws, squared stanes, an some foondations o biggins atween the waws an the sea are visible. The so-cried grotto an spring o the Sibyl is locatit unner the kirk o San Giovanni Battista (1555), an is traditionally considered the tomb o the Cuman or Siculian Sibyl.

Tae the east o the toun is a great fosse which defendit it on the land side, an ayont this again are quarries like those o Syracuse on a sma scale.

The modren toun takes the shape o the Roman camp athin the earlier ceety, ane o the gates o which still existit in 1887. Sichts include the campanile an convent o the Annunziata, an the Baroque Kirk o the Purgatory.

The main street (the Cassaro) perpetuates the name castrum. The Biagio Anselmi Airchaeological Museum hooses an example o Carthaginian ship uised durin the Battle o the Aegates Islands (241 BC), as well as ither auncient remains frae the aurie.

Natural sichts include the stagnone ("Big Marsh") lagoon preservit aurie.

See an aw

• Florio
• Marsala Ship

Freemit airtins

Media relatit tae Marsala at Wikimedia Commons