5 things to see in Marsala

Located on the furthest tip of western Sicily, Marsala is a lively, sunny and charming city. In addition to its wine-growing excellence, including the noble Marsala DOC wine, it offers more than 2,000 years of history, natural wonders, artistic beauty, important museums, sumptuous historic buildings, long golden sandy beaches and much more. In short, there is no shortage of things to see. We have selected 5 of them not to be missed for any reason in the world.

The Cathedral

Among the things to see in Marsala we could not fail to mention the Cathedral, dedicated to St. Thomas Becket (1118-1170), the archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered while celebrating Mass in his cathedral. The church, located in the heart of the historic center, was erected around 1176 but what we see today is the result of various renovations and extensions implemented over the centuries. According to tradition, the dedication to the English saint is traced back to the fortunate shipwreck, on the beaches of Marsala, of a ship loaded with Corinthian columns destined for a church to be built in England in his honor. Its interior houses valuable works of art, including: the marble statue of St. Thomas, a masterpiece by Antonello Gagini; the Madonna del Popolo by Domenico Gagini; and Antonello Riccio’s canvas depicting the Presentation in the Temple.

The Monumental Complex of St. Peter’s

A short walk from the cathedral is the Monumental Complex of St. Peter’s, a former 16th-century Benedictine monastery now used for the city’s social and cultural activities. In place of the former cells and refectories it houses the headquarters of the Struppa Municipal Library and the Marsala Civic Museum. The latter is divided into three sections: archaeological, displaying local artifacts spanning a time span from the 4th century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D.; Risorgimento-Garibaldine, dedicated to the enterprise of the Thousand and in particular the landing in Marsala; and popular traditions, which includes an exhibit devoted to the Holy Thursday procession in Marsala, and the work of the Sicilian puppets.

The Convent of Carmel

In the western corner of the city, in the Annunziata district, stands the former Convent of Carmel, founded almost certainly in the 13th-14th centuries, although local tradition insists on the arrival of the first Carmelites in Marsala in 1154-1155. After years of neglect and a brief interlude as a Carabinieri barracks, it was restored in the 1990s and turned into a museum venue. It currently houses the Ente Mostra di Pittura Contemporanea (Municipal Picture Gallery), which has a permanent collection of more than 750 works by artists of national and international prestige, including Cagli, Cantatore, Cassinari, Conti, Gentilini, Maccari, Marchegiani, Pomodoro, Sassu, Sironi, Tosi and Tozzi.

The Archaeological Park of Lilybaeum

Another attraction not to be missed is the Archaeological Park of Lilybaeum, the core of which is the archaeological area of Capo Boeo, which encloses a considerable part of the settlement of the ancient city of Lilybaeum. Among the main monuments brought to light are the public baths, the large Domus from the imperial period and the sanctuary dedicated to the health-giving deities Asclepius and Salus-Igiea. The museum site of the archaeological park is Baglio Anselmi, a 19th-century establishment for the production of Marsala wine, renovated and inaugurated in 1986. It is known to house the remains of the world’s only existing Punic ship and the wreck of the Roman ship of Marausa, the largest ever found in Sicily.

The Stagnone Islands Oriented Nature Reserve

Just over 5 kilometers from the city center is the Stagnone Islands Oriented Nature Reserve, one of the first to be established in Sicily. It is a natural area of great beauty named after the “Stagnone,” the largest lagoon in the region. The reserve covers an area of about 2,000 hectares that, in addition to the lagoon, includes four islands (one of which is home to the famous archaeological site of Mozia) and part of the mainland. Included within it are the Hector and Infersa salt pans, the Genna salt pans, and the S. Teodoro salt pans. In addition, several windsurfing, kitesurfing, canoeing and sailing schools are located along the coast.

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