Marsala, Petrosino
From the Arabic Mar sa Allah (the port of Allah), the city of Marsala, even if it is not the provincial capital, is considered the first city in the province as regards population.
Today's Marsala has a rich cultural heritage with the presence of Punic, Roman, Norman, Arabic and Spanish remains, among which the Punic necropolis, the Roman Villa with its beautiful mosaics, the Christian Baptistery and the remains of the walls built by Ruggero I are of particular interest.
Its foundation is closely linked to that of Mozia, which in the course of its history became a strategic point for the city of Carthage. It was most probably subject to explorations by the Phoenician merchant-sailors, who travelled into the Mediterranean, since it was a landing place and one of the most important commercial bases.
The importance of Mozia began to decline with the founding of Lilibeo, but its destruction dates back to 397 BC, due to the actions of the tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse, who conquered and then destroyed it. Mozia was brought back to life by Joseph Whitaker, who in 1875 began a vast work of excavation on the island, discovering many Phoenician remains.
These are now preserved in the museum of the same name which is managed by the Foundation dedicated to him. The foundation also owns the island.
Returning to the subject of Marsala, since 1987 it has been recognized as the wine capital due to the presence of numerous wineries, whose products, especially the Marsala wine with its 'denominazione d'origine controllata' quality assurance label, are exported all over the world.
Marsala has a railway station on the Trapani-Castelvetrano railway line which runs through the city, but it is not the comprehensive metropolitan local service required by the many commuters who use it. In the past, rail transport was used by many wine factories that used wine tank wagons to transport wine.
As regards the services for tourists with disabilities, the city council of Marsala has always been very careful about ensuring efficient services for all disabled people, both tourists and locals, even if this attention is never enough. In particular, the city council has provided for those who prefer not to use beaches, offering the possibility to use the municipal swimming pool with the aid of suitable equipment and qualified personnel.
Between Marsala and Mazara del Vallo is the town Petrosino which is also an important wine centre. It is a very young town, established in 1980, although the origins of Petrosino date back to 1632. Its name is linked to that of Woodhouse whose coat of arms, which can be found on the portal of the Baglio (farmhouse hamlet) of the same name, has become the symbol of the town.
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