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Trapani, the ancient Drepanon, just out into the Mediterranean sea in the shape
of a sickle. The Ligny Tower, an imposing watchtower built in 1761, stands on
its extreme tip and now houses the Museum of Prehistory.
Nowadays fishing provides a means of support, but in the past the Mediterranean
was a source of wealth because of the coral industry.
The precious coral works made by skilled craftsmen have made this town famous
since the second hald of the 16th century.
A collection of very fine coral works is displayed at the Pepoli Museum, inside
the old Carmelite Monastery.
Walking down the streets of the oldest part of the city centre, one can easily
notice the indelible marks left on Trapani’s town planning and architectural
styles by various civilizations. It is worth mentioning the Jewish quarter, with
the Palazzo della Giudecca; Palazzo Cavarretta (the seat of the old Trapanese
senate); the Church and College of the Jesuits; the Cathedral of San Lorenzo.
Another notable building is the Church of Purgatorio; here twenty holy groups,
called the Mistery of Trapani, are preserved and on Good Friday they are carried
through the street of the town centre in a 24-hour huge procession. Such streets
lead all to the sea, the typical fish market, the western town walls and the
port, protected from the sea by the Castello della Colombaia. Along this route
one can smell the scents of the local cuisine, characterized by strong and spicy
flavours. A typical dish, of arab origin, is couscous served with fish soup.
Again the sea provides the town with another feature, which
characterizes the coast as far as Marsala: the salt-pans.
Over the centuries the salt-pans and the industry have created a unique
environment of great cultural, anthropological and economic relevance in a
region where the land merges into the sea. This route is called Via del sale
(the salt road) and is remarkable for its numerous mills, five of which have
recently been renovated, for the heaps of salt covered with terracotta tiles and
for the Museum of Salt at Nubia, not far from Paceco. This area is part of two
natural reserves, the Saline di Trapani e Paceco and the Stagnone di
Marsala.
(English extract by “I colori del Vento”,
Azienda
Provinciale
Turismo Trapani)
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