Marsala, between archeology and flamingos, a fairytale landscape

From the Punic to the Garibaldini, the history of Marsala is centuries long and is one of the reasons to visit this beautiful city of Trapani. Then there is its famous wine, Mozia and its Phoenician past, in short, Marsala is a place to get lost, not only for the beauty of its sea, but also for all that you can do in its historic center and among the its districts, it has so many that it is worth visiting! It’s beautiful inside and it’s beautiful outside! Like the Marsalaese on the other hand!

I could start by telling about baths at Lido Signorino white sand and green sea, but relegate Marsala, among the places to visit only in summer and it is not so. I prefer to lose myself in its historic center characterized by the baroque and walk on the stone bases to discover the most delicious corners of the town of Trapani.

Thus, passing Porta Garibaldi, one of the entrances to the historic center, one ends up in one of the most evocative views of Marsala, the Piazza dell’Addolorata where we find the Church of Purgatory. With its pastel color, its height and its majesty perfectly suits the course of the city. On his right and on his left, with his back he can in fact immerse himself in the inevitable village of the Cassaro.

VW PICS VIA GETTY IMAGES
But there’s more. Jumping from one lane to another you get to the Walk of San Girolamo which is really romantic at sunset. What characterizes it are the excavations that can be admired overlooking the “balcony” created when necessary to make the archaeological discovery accessible to visitors.

Paving and wall structures of Phoenician and Punic tradition, a building complex of the Hellenistic-Roman period and two wells of the medieval period. An interesting meeting between past and present. Many ceramic artefacts found here are kept in the “Baglio Anselmi” Archaeological Museum. Another stop not to be missed.

Spending a few days in this corner of Sicily, you certainly can not taste the Spanish and Arabic “taste” together. Eggià, because Marsala is also this. In the heart of the city, where there is the Town Hall, a splendid Spanish palace and the Old Market, an example of the presence of the Arabs made evident by its architecture with vaulted roofs, circular domes and stylized and repetitive decorative friezes. During the day fish is sold there, but in the evening, especially in summer, the market becomes the most “charming” place in the city, where you can drink, eat and listen to music.

We leave the center, direction Riserva Naturale dello Stagnone. Whether it’s summer or winter it does not matter, because this is a magical place in every season. To reach it you cross the salt flats, white and crystalline expanses that illuminate and characterize the area. Always here, closer to the reserve there are the real settlements of the area: the pink flamingos, which with their plumage and their royalty give the place a fabulous aura.