Holidays: a trip to Mazara del Vallo

Mazara del Vallo is a village of about 50.500 inhabitants in Sicily, in the province of Trapani.

It was built on the site of the ancient Emporio di Selinunte and was conquered by the Carthaginian in 409 b.C., then passed under the roman domination.

The Arabs, who started the domination of Sicily from Mazara, took it in 827 a.D. and made it an important place and the chief town of one of the three administrative districts into which the island was divided.

The documents which have been found describe the city and its territory, rich in plantations and gardens. It was lately conquered by the Normans, who made it the city of the bishop and fortified it; then it passed under the Aragonese.

In the period between the 17^th and 18^th centuries, the urban structure was redefined, new buildings were built and the old ones were restored with a baroque style, even if the Islamic hint remained anyway.

Today the town has a healthy agricultural economy and one of the most important fishing ports in Italy; its very good geographic position, very near to Africa, makes it a bridge between two continents.

It has many industries of fish conservation and wine (Marsala).

More than the characteristic historical centre, in Porto Recanati we can admire:

• the Seminario dei Chierici, which hosts the Diocesan Museum and a Library, with important books of the XVII century;
• the Bishop’s Palace, dating back to the XVI century and restored at the beginning of the XVIII century;
• the Cathedral, founded in 1093 and rebuilt between 1690 and 1694, which preserves many precious art works;
• the Public Garden Jolanda, situated between the Cathedral and the Lungomare Mazzini;
• the Church of St. Nicolò Regale (1124), built in Norman style;
• St Michael’s church, (XI century) decorated with twenty statues made of marble and painted;
• the Regional Museum of St. Egidio, where there is the well known statue of the Dancing Satyr, found under the sea in 1998.

• many naturalistic beauties, which is possible to admire with enjoyable walks in the nature.

The prices of the hotels are from 50 to 330 euros per night per person.

More info (in Italian): www.paesionline.it

Translated by Veronica Atzei