Trapani

Trapani, Sicily, Italy

Trapani is situated on the western coast of the island of Sicily, and called "the city between two seas, for its position at the merging of the Thyrrenian and Mediterranean. The city has a great wealth of palaces, churches and medieval fortifications which make it a real jewel of Sicilian architecture.

The ancient name of Trapani was Drepanon, (meaning "sickle" in Greek), bceause of the shape of the harbor which curves out into the Mediterranean Sea in the shape of a sickle. Over the centuries the salt-pans and the salt industries have created a unique environment of great cultural and economic relevance and Trapani was the origin of the Via del Sale (the salt road) along which there were several mills.

Info

Altitude: 3 m a.s.l -- Population: ca. 70,000 inhabitants -- Zip/postal code: 91100 -- Phone Area Code: 0923 -- Patron Saint: Sant'Alberto degli Abati celebrated on 7 August -- Frazioni & Località: Borgo Fazio, Fontanasalsa, Fulgatore, Guarrato, Locogrande, Marausa, Milo, Palma, Pietretagliate, Rilievo, Salinagrande, Ummari, Xitta

What to see

Cathedral of San Lorenzo built in 1421 then restored and changed in 1748 by architect G.B. Amico with the addition of the side chapels, the choir, the dome, the bell tower and the façade. Inside neoclassical plasters by Girolamo Rizzo and Onofrio Noto and vaulted fresco paintings by Vincenzo Manno, a painting of the Crucifixion attributed to Flemish Van Dyke.
Torre di Ligny in stone and tufa built in 1671 by Viceroy Claudio La Moraldo, prince of Ligny, which hosts the Prehistory Museum.
Castello di Terra, according to the tradition over 2,300 years old, was an important defence post of the city, from its position opposite the other Castello di Mare (called Colombaia) located on an island and built according to the legend by greek hero Amilcares. In 1360 Queen Costanza, the wife of Federico d’Aragona, stayed here. The Castello di Mare has an octagonal plan and dates back to the XVI century.

Events

The "Processione dei Misteri" on Holy Friday, huge statues representing in many scenes the passion of Christ, carried along the streets of the city. During the year the sacred statues are kept in the Chiesa del Purgatorio.

Where to stay

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