Trapani
Tràpani is a city on the west coast of
Sicily in
Italy. It is the capital of the
Province of Trapani. Originally founded by
ancient Greeks, the city is still an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby
Egadi Islands.
|
Tràpani seen from Erice. The islands of Favignana (left) and Levanzo (right) can be seen in the background. |
Tràpani was founded by the
Elymians to serve as the port of the nearby city of
Erice (ancient
Eryx), which overlooks it from Monte San Giuliano. The city sits on a low-lying promontory jutting out into the
Mediterranean Sea. It was originally named
Drépanon from the Greek word for "
sickle", because of the curving shape of its harbour.
Carthage seized control of the city in
260 BC, subsequently making it an important naval base, but ceded it to
Rome in
241 BC following the
Battle of the Aegates in the
First Punic War.
Two ancient legends tell of mythical origins for the city. In the first legend, Tràpani stemmed from the sickle which fell from the hands of the goddess
Demeter while she was seeking for her daughter
Persephone, who had been kidnapped by
Hades. The second myth features
Saturn, god of the sky, who eviscerated his father
Chronos with a sickle which, falling into the sea, created the city. In ancient times Saturn was the god-protector of Tràpani. Today Saturn's statue stands in a piazza in the centre of the city.
The city was badly damaged during
World War II when it was subjected to intense Allied bombardments. It has grown greatly since the end of the war, sprawling out virtually to the foot of Monte San Giuliano.
Tourism has grown in recent years due to the city's proximity to popular destinations such as Erice,
Segesta and the Egadi Islands.
Much of Tràpani's economy still depends on the sea.
Fishing and
canning are an important local industries, with fishermen using the
mattanza technique to catch
tuna. Coral is also an important export, along with
salt,
marble and
marsala wine. The nearby coast is lined with numerous salt-pans.
The city is also an important ferry port, with links to the Egadi Islands,
Pantelleria,
Sardinia and
Tunisia.
Much of the old town of Tràpani dates from the later medieval or early modern periods; there are no extant remains of the ancient city. Many of the city's historic buildings are designed in the
Baroque style. Notable monuments include:
* The Church of
Sant'Agostino (
14th century, with the splendid rose-window
* The Church of
Santa Maria di Gesù (
15th century-
16th century)
* The magnificent
Basilica-Sanctuary of Maria Santissima Annunziata (also called "Madonna di Tràpani") originally built in
1315-
1332 and rebuilt in
1760. It houses a marble statue of the Madonna of Tràpani, which might be the work of
Nino Pisano*
Fontana di Tritone (
Triton's Fountain)
* The Baroque
Palazzo della Giudecca or Casa Ciambra
* The Cathedral' (
1635)
The city is renowned for its
Easter procession,
Il Misteri, when the town's guilds parade a groups of sculpted
17th century and
18th century religious statues through the streets in a procession lasting for 16 hours on
Good Friday and
Holy Saturday.
From
28 September to
9 October 2005 Tràpani was the location of Acts 8 and 9 of the
Louis Vuitton Cup. This sailing race featured, among other entrants, all the boats that will take part in the
2007 America's Cup.
Image:Trapani 1.JPG|The Old CityImage:Trapani9.JPG|Cavarretta PalaceImage:Trapani_chiostro.JPG|The Jesuits' CloisterImage:Erice-bjs-6.jpg|Salines and city of Trapani seen from Monte Erice*
ItalianVisits.com*
Photo album Trapani (Sicilian.Net)
