Marsala

Marsala
Comune
City of Marsala
Salt evaporation ponds at Marsala

Coat of arms
Marsala
Location of Marsala in Italy
Coordinates: 37°48′N 12°26′E / 37.800°N 12.433°E / 37.800; 12.433
Country Italy
Region Sicily
Province Trapani (TP)
Founded 396 BC[1]
Government
 • Mayor Alberto Di Girolamo (PD)
Area
 • Total 241.6 km2 (93.3 sq mi)
Elevation 3 m (10 ft)
Population (1 January 2017)
 • Total 83,232[2]
Demonym(s) Marsalesi or Lilibetani
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code 91025
Dialing code 0923
ISTAT code 081011
Patron saint Our Lady of the Cave (Madonna della Cava) and Saint John the Baptist
Saint day respectively 19 January and 24 June
Website Official website

Marsala (Sicilian: Maissala; Latin: Lilybaeum) is an Italian town located in the Province of Trapani in the westernmost part of Sicily. Marsala is the most populated town in its province and the fifth in Sicily.

The town is famous for the docking of Giuseppe Garibaldi on 11 May 1860 (the Expedition of the Thousand) and for its Marsala wine. A feature of the area is the Stagnone Lagoon Natural Reserve — a marine area with salt ponds.

Marsala is built on the ruins of the ancient Carthaginian city of Lilybaeum, and includes in its territory the archaeological site of the island of Motya, an ancient Phoenician town. The modern name likely derived from the Arabic مَرْسَى عَلِيّ (marsā ʿaliyy, “Ali's harbor”), or possibly مَرْسَى اللّٰه (marsā llāh, “God's harbor”).[3]

Geography

Situated at the extreme western point of Sicily, the town was founded on Lilibeo Cape from where the Aegadian Islands and the Stagnone Lagoon can be seen.

Territory

The territory of Marsala, 241 square kilometres (93 sq mi), has a rich cultural and landscape heritage; its area includes the Stagnone Lagoon, a Natural Reserve in which is located the island of Mozia.

The city of Marsala had a population of about 86,000 until the end of 1970, when Petrosino, a village formerly part of Marsala, decided to become a self-governing town after a local referendum.

The area of Marsala is classified as a seismic zone 2 (medium). In the last 200 years three earthquakes of medium-high intensity were recorded:

  • 18 May 1828 – magnitude 5.17 (about VI Mercalli scale)
  • 15 January 1968 – Belice earthquake which in Marsala reached VII Mercalli scale (although its intensity was as high as X in other locations).
  • 7 June 1981 – magnitude 4.60 (IV–V scala Mercalli scale) with epicentre in Borgo Elefante in Mazara del Vallo, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the town-centre of Marsala.

Climate

Marsala has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa), similar to most coastal towns in Sicily, with hot and dry summers coupled with moderately wet and mild winters. Weather in Marsala is similar to that of nearby Trapani.

Summers are generally warm with a record maximum temperature of 37 °C (99 °F) in August 2017.[4] In the summer, due to how dry it is, it is not unusual to experience the effect of Sirocco wind, which brings dust and sand from the Sahara.

Winters are generally rainy and cooler with temperatures ranging between minimum of 1 °C (34 °F) (in December 2014) and 21 °C (70 °F). Snowfall occurs very rarely, since the temperature has never dropped below freezing, although snow has fallen before, for example in December 2014.[5]

History

Location of Marsala in western Sicily.

In 397 BC the Phoenician colony of Motya on the southwestern coast of Sicily was invaded and destroyed by the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius I. The survivors founded a town on the mainland nearby that they called Lilybaion (Lilybaeum in Latin), "The town that looks at Libya", on the site of modern-day Marsala.

The First Punic War began here when the Punic army landed at Lilybaion in 265–264 BCE, then marched across Sicily to Messina, where the opening clash of the war took place.[8]

The Punic fortress Lilybaion was never conquered although it was besieged several times, e.g. by Pyrrhus of Epirus and by the Romans. In 241 BC it was given to the Romans as part of the peace treaty ending the First Punic War and became one of the most important towns in Sicily. The commercial centre was enriched with mansions and public buildings and dubbed splendidissima urbs by Cicero, who served as quaestor in the region between 76 and 75 BC.

Ravaged by Vandals during the 5th century AD, the town was annexed in the 6th century to Justinian's Byzantine Empire. In this period the town was struck by dysentery, raided by pirates, and neglected by Constantinople. The arrival of Arabic Berbers at the nearby Granitola mount in the 8th century entailed the resumption of commerce and the start of the rebirth of the town. The town was renamed Marsa ʿAlī "ʿAlī's harbour" or maybe, Marsa ʿāliyy, "Big harbour", for the width of the ancient harbour, placed near Punta d'Alga. Another possible derivation is Marsa Allāh, "God's harbour". Another theory is that Marsala comes from mare salis, "salt pans by the sea" from the presence of salt pans along the whole northern coast, although mention of this theory cannot be found in contemporary references and the installation of the bigger salt ponds on the group of islands composing the contemporary single island "Isola Lunga" was made just during the 19th century.

Since the end of the 11th century, the area has been conquered by Norman, Angevin and Aragonese troops. During this time, Marsala became wealthy, primarily through trade. However the blocking up of the harbour of Punta Alga, decreed by Emperor Charles V so as to stop Saracen forays, brought an end to this period of prosperity.

The development of Marsala wine at the end of the 18th century, headed by English merchants settled in Sicily, considerably improved local trade. This triggered an economic expansion in Marsala, including the funding of infrastructure projects such as the current harbour of Margitello.

On 11 May 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi landed at Marsala, beginning the process of Italian unification.

On 11 May 1943, in the lead-up to the World War II Allied invasion of Sicily, an Allied bombardment of the town permanently damaged its Baroque centre and claimed many victims: "Marsala Wiped Off the Map" titled the New York Times on 13 May 1943.[9]

Archaeology

Church of Purgatorio, currently seat of the Auditorium Santa Cecilia.

The archaeological area of Marsala has been investigated both through excavations and topographic studies. Lilybaeum, the ancient town, took up a rectangular area on Capo Boeo, a low and rocky promontory sloping gently down towards the sea. The urban layout of the town can be dated back to the 2nd century BC, taking the shape of a Roman camp, with modern-day Viale Vittorio Veneto the Decumanus Maximus and Viale Cesare Battisti the Cardo Maximus.[10] In 350 BC the newly formed town of Marsala was surrounded by town walls and a deep moat,[11] however the moat has long been buried. Little remains of Lilybaeum today, however several fragments of the city walls and ancient foundations are still visible. Excavations took place in 2005 on Via Giuseppe Garraffa near the town center, revealing Roman foundations. The Baglio Anselmi Archaeological Museum houses an example of Carthaginian ship used during the Battle of the Aegates Islands (241 BC) found on the seabed off the coast of Marsala, as well as other ancient remains from the area, such as pottery, marble sculptures and mosaics.[12]

There used to be three entrance gates into the town, likely dating back to Norman times: Porta Nuova, Porta di Mare and Porta Mazara. In the 17th and 18th centuries the Norman gates were rebuilt in a much grander form: Porta Mazara, (English: "Mazara Gate") rebuilt in 1572,[13] located in the south-east; Porta di Mare (English: "Sea Gate") (renamed to Porta Garibaldi), rebuilt in 1685,[14] located in the south-west of the town; Porta Nuova (English: "New Gate") was rebuilt in 1790,[15] and is located in the north-west of the town. The city council decided to demolish the city walls in 1887 to make way for the rapidly-expanding town. Along with this demolition was demolished the north-east gate called Porta Trapani, constructed in the early 17th century, nicknamed "Porticella" due to its small size in comparison to the other three gates of the town; it used to be located at the intersection of Via Pellegrino and Via Sardegna.[16]

Based on the archaeological findings at Capo Boeo, Marsala has been rebuilt twice, one time in the 1st century BC and another in the 3rd century AD. Despite the large rebuilding of the 3rd century, there is not enough evidence to associate this with the 365 Crete earthquake, even though literature and archaeological discoveries elsewhere show that other Sicilian towns, such as Selinunte, were affected.[17]

Economy

The economy of Marsala still depends on the production of wine, although tourism is a growing industry and it too is becoming an important source of income for the city. With its 14-kilometre (8.7 mi) coastline of sand beaches and clear sea, easy access to the nearby Aegadian Islands and the natural beauty of the Saline Della Laguna and Stagnone Lagoon, Marsala is an important Sicilian tourist destination.

People

Main sights

Religious architecture

  • Marsala Cathedral (17th century) dedicated to Saint Thomas of Canterbury and built on a Norman implant dated to 1176. There is an organ with 4,317 pipes.
  • Church of Purgatorio.
  • Church of Addolorata.
  • Church of Itriella.
  • Convent, church and belfry of the Carmine.
  • Church of Saint Matthew.
  • Church and monastery of Saint Peter.
  • Church of Saint John the Baptist.

Civil architecture

  • Spanish Quarters (Town Hall)
  • VII April Palace (16th–17th century), built on the site of the Lodge of Pisani.
  • Fici Palace.
  • Grignani Palace.
  • Spanò-Burgio Palace.
  • Communal theatre, built in 19th Century consists in 300 seats, reopened during the 1994 and dedicated to Eliodoro Sollima.
  • Cine Teatro Impero, built during Fascism.
  • Agricultural Technical Institute With Specialized School Wine "Abele Damiani" Marsala – Aggregate IPSAA Strasatti With Hospitality Section (state public high school).

Military architecture

  • Villa Araba, Carabinieri (military police, and public security), Command Company and Operative Centre
  • Castle of Marsala (formerly a State Prison up to a few years ago)
  • Ancient Gates and walls of Marsala

Other

Enological establishments

Large-scale wine production started in 1773, encouraged by English trader John Woodhouse. Important winemaking establishments include Ingham-Whitaker, le Cantine Florio, Martinez, Pellegrino, Rallo, Mineo, Bianchi, Baglio Hopps, Donnafugata, Alagna, Caruso e Minini. Marsala cellars are famous not just for the production of dessert wine, but also for red and white wines. They produce modern cellar wine, such as Alcesti, De Bartoli, Fina, Vinci, Birgi, Mothia, Paolini e Baglio Oro. In 2012, Marsala was

Marsala's Award for Civil Valor

named the European Capital of Wine.[18]

International relations

Marsala is twinned with:

References

  1. ↑ "Marsala, Sicily, Italy". www.enchantingitaly.com. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  2. ↑ "Popolazione residente al 1 gennaio : Sicilia". I.Stat. 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  3. ↑ "marsala | Origin and meaning of the name marsala by Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  4. ↑ Samson, Tony. "Marsala in Agosto 2018 - Clima, Meteo e Temperature in agosto". Dove e Quando andare? (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  5. ↑ "Anche a Marsala arriva la neve". Itaca Notizie (in Italian). 2014-12-31. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  6. ↑ "Archivio Climatico". Enea. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Clima Marsala - Medie climatiche". www.ilmeteo.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  8. ↑ Diodorus Siculus, Biblioteca Historica, 23.1.2
  9. ↑ The New York Times, New York, Thursday, 13 May 1943
  10. ↑ Vento, Maurizio (1999). La topografia di Lilybaeum. Italy.
  11. ↑ Merola, Pasquale; Allegrini, A; Bajocco, Sofia (2005-10-06). "Hyperspectral MIVIS data to investigate the Lilybaeum (Marsala) Archaeological Park". Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. 5983. doi:10.1117/12.627629.
  12. ↑ "Regione Siciliana Assessorato Beni Culturali". www.regione.sicilia.it. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
  13. ↑ Mirabile, Totò. "Porta Mazara". www.museomirabilesicilia.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  14. ↑ S.r.l., El-edrisi. "Porta Garibaldi | Altri luoghi | Marsala Turismo - Portale turistico della Città di Marsala | Parole, immagini e atmosfere di una città senza tempo". Marsala Turismo - Portale turistico della Città di Marsala. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  15. ↑ Mirabile, Totò. "Porta Nuova". www.museomirabilesicilia.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  16. ↑ "Top Sites to See in Marsala | Visit Sicily". Amazing World in Pictures. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  17. ↑ Bottari, Carla; Stiros, Stathis C.; Teramo, Antonio (2009-02-06). "Archaeological evidence for destructive earthquakes in Sicily between 400 B.C. and A.D. 600". Geoarchaeology. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 24 (2): 149. doi:10.1002/gea.20260. ISSN 0883-6353 – via Wiley Online Library.
  18. ↑ www.ideafutura.com, Idea Futura srl -. "Comune di Marsala - 13 Novembre 2012 - MARSALA CITTA EUROPEA DEL VINO PER L'ANNO 2013". www.comune.marsala.tp.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-07-07.
  19. ↑ www.ideafutura.com, Idea Futura srl -. "Comune di Marsala - 19 Giugno- SANCITO IL GEMELLAGGIO CON LA CITTA' DI NYSA". www.comune.marsala.tp.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  20. ↑ www.sam3.pl, CONCEPT Intermedia. "Regiony partnerskie - Portal - Starostwo Powiatowe w Nysie". powiat.nysa.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  21. ↑ www.ideafutura.com, Idea Futura srl -. "Comune di Marsala - 20 settembre - I SINDACI DI MARSALA E MODICA GETTANO LE BASI PER UN GEMELLAGGIO". www.comune.marsala.tp.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  22. ↑ "Marsala (Trapani) Firmato il gemellaggio Marsala Modica all'insegna del vino e del cioccolato. - PippoGalipoNews.it". PippoGalipoNews.it (in Italian). 2016-12-09. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.