Marsala
Marsala | |
---|---|
Città di Marsala | |
Marsala salt ponds | |
Coordinates: 37°48′N 12°26′E / 37.800°N 12.433°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 |
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.
History
[eedit | eedit soorce]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
[eedit | eedit soorce]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
[eedit | eedit soorce]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
[eedit | eedit soorce]Freemit airtins
[eedit | eedit soorce]Media relatit tae Marsala at Wikimedia Commons
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