Marsala is a seaport city located in the Province of Trapani on the island of Sicily in Italy. The low coast on which it is situated is the westernmost point of the island. It is best known as the source of Marsala wine. Marsala occupies the site of Lilybaeum, the principal stronghold of the Carthaginians in Sicily, founded by Himilco in 396 BC after the abandonment of Motya. Neither Pyrrhus nor the Romans were able to reduce it by siege, but it was surrendered to the latter in 241 BC at the end of the First Punic War. In the later wars it was a starting point for the Roman expeditions against Carthage, and under Roman rule it enjoyed considerable prosperity. It obtained municipal rights from Augustus and became a colony under either Pertinax or Septimius Severus.The Saracens gave it its present name "Marsala" which is deriving from the Arab "Marsa Allah" (port of Allah) or "Marsa Ali" ("port of Ali" intended also as "great port" as Ali in Arabian language is synonymous of "great" and the ancient harbour of Lylibaeum was enormous). The ancient harbor that lay on the northeast was destroyed by Charles V to prevent its occupation by pirates. The modern harbor lies to the southeast. On May 11, 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi and his "thousand" landed at Marsala and began his campaign to overthrow Bourbon rule in Sicily as a step toward Italy's unification.

 

For Visitors: Visitors with particular culinary interests seem to expect a certain local mystique when they come to the place where the world's most famous cooking wine is made. (Marsala wine is also served with desserts.) Though its restaurants offer some excellent cuisine to complement this distinguished wine, the city of Marsala could not be described as particularly exciting. Some of the wineries give occasional tours