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The modern name is likely derived from the Arabicمَرْسَى عَلِيّ (marsā ʿaliyy, "Ali's harbor"), or possiblyمَرْسَى اللّٰه (marsā llāh, "God's harbor").[4]
TheLilybaeum stele, showing a cultic scene and votive Punic inscription
The Carthaginian army sent to conquerSelinunte in 409 BC landed and camped near the site of the later Lilybaeum. In 397 BC when thePhoenician colony ofMotya on the southwestern coast of Sicily was invaded and destroyed by theSyracusan tyrantDionysius I, the survivors founded a town on the mainland nearby, the site of modern-day Marsala, which they called by aPunic name, recorded in Greek asLilýbaion (Λιλύβαιον) and in Latin asLilybaeum. Over the following two centuries, it became a trade centre for manufactured goods and served as a strategic port between Carthage and Carthaginian territories inSardinia. It was built with strong defensive walls[5] from the beginning and had three linked harbours. Punic Lilybaion was never conquered although it was besieged several times e.g. byPyrrhus of Epirus and theRomans. The walls were ultimately over 10m high and 7m thick. They were strengthened for Pyrrhus'Siege of Lilybaeum in278 BC by a second wall 10m from the first. The siege lasted 2 months before he withdrew.[6] It was the only city which Pyrrhus could not conquer during his campaign at Sicily.[7]
In 250 BC the Romans sent a huge naval expedition of up to 240 ships towards Lilybaeum, the Carthaginian headquarters. A massive Roman army of 4 legions under the two consuls was also sent.[9] The Carthaginians also understood the importance of this port and put their whole force together to save the city including about 10,000 mercenaries (Celts and Greeks). The Carthaginians sailed 50 ships from Africa under the command of Hannibal to try to save the city by charging towards the centre of the harbour. The Romans did not attempt to stop the entry of the fleet because of their sudden appearance and unfavourable winds in a foreign port.
The Roman fleet wasdefeated atDrepana in 249 BC when attempting a surprise attack there, followed by the destruction of the rest of the fleet soon afterwards in a storm. This forced the Romans to settle in for a long siege.[10]
TheSiege of Lilybaeum (250 BC) lasted for 9 years without Roman success. Carthage was able to reinforce and re-supply Lilybaeum during the war. Some of the Gallic mercenaries planned to betray the city butAlexon, who had previously savedAgrigentum from similar treachery, foiled the plot by informing the Carthaginian commander Himilco.[11]
In 241 BC the city was given to the Romans as part of the peace treaty ending the First Punic War and then became one of the most important cities in Sicily.
In 218 BC, in theSecond Punic War, theBattle of Lilybaeum was fought between the navies of Carthage and Rome when Carthage attempted a secret raid on the city to re-establish a base.Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, the praetor at Lilybaeum, was told about the impending raid and prepared his 20 ships which managed to defeat the 50 opposing quinqueremes.
In therepublican period the city was enriched with mansions and public buildings and dubbedsplendidissima urbs byCicero, who served asquaestor in the region between 76 and 75 BC. During the Civil Wars Lilybaeum was twice besieged, in 43 BC bySextus Pompeius and 38 byLepidus during which the walls were further strengthened as shown by an inscription.
The city walls were abandoned in the 4th c. AD as shown by buildings erected over or beside the walls.
The city was the seat of theDiocese of Lilybaeum from at least the early 5th century AD. Ravaged byVandals during the 5th century AD, the town was annexed in the 6th century toJustinian'sByzantine Empire. In this period the town was struck by dysentery, raided by pirates, and neglected byConstantinople. The arrival of theArabs at the nearby Granitola mount in the 8th century entailed the resumption of commerce and the start of the rebirth of the town. The town was renamedMarsa ʿAlī "ʿAlī's harbour" or maybe,Marsa ʿāliyy, "Big harbour", for the width of the ancient harbour, placed near Punta d'Alga. Another possible derivation isMarsa Allāh, "God's harbour".
Since the end of the 11th century, the area has been conquered byNorman,Angevin andAragonese troops. During this time, Marsala became wealthy, primarily through trade. However the blocking up of the harbour of Punta Alga, decreed by EmperorCharles V so as to stopSaracen forays, brought an end to this period of prosperity.
The development ofMarsala wine at the end of the 18th century, headed by English merchants settled in Sicily, considerably improved local trade. This triggered an economic expansion in Marsala, including the funding of infrastructure projects such as the current harbour of Margitello.
On 11 May 1943, in the lead-up to theWorld War IIAllied invasion of Sicily, an Allied bombardment of the town permanently damaged itsBaroque centre and claimed many victims: "Marsala Wiped Off the Map" titled the New York Times on 13 May 1943.[12]
In Greek mythology,Butes was the onlyArgonaut who jumped in the sea while sailing past theSirens because he couldn't resist the charm of their singing, butAphrodite saved him and transferred him to Lilybaeum.[13]
Venus of LilybaeumMosaic floor: Domus of BoeoCarthaginian ship (240 BC)
The archaeological area of Marsala has been investigated both throughexcavations andtopographic studies.Lilybaeum, the ancient town, took up a rectangular area on Capo Boeo, a low and rockypromontory sloping gently down towards the sea. The urban layout of the town can be dated back to the 2nd century BC with modern-dayViale Vittorio Veneto theDecumanus Maximus andViale Cesare Battisti theCardo Maximus.[14]
Based on the archaeological findings at Capo Boeo, Lilybaeum was rebuilt twice, in the 1st century BC and in the 3rd century AD. There is not enough evidence to associate the latter with the365 Crete earthquake, even though literature and archaeological discoveries elsewhere show that other Sicilian towns, such asSelinunte,were affected.[15]
Several fragments of the city walls and floors and walls of public and private buildings are visible. Excavations in several places under the modern city have revealed rich mosaic floors in town houses.
The Baglio Anselmi Archaeological Museum houses an example ofCarthaginian ship possibly used during theBattle of the Aegates Islands (241 BC) found on the seabed off the coast of Marsala, as well as other ancient remains from the area, such as pottery, marble sculptures and mosaics.[16] Many fine painted tombs and funerary monuments have been excavated showing unique preservation of colours.
The three entrance gates into the town dating fromNorman times: Porta Nuova, Porta di Mare and Porta Mazara were rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries in a much grander form: Porta Mazara, (English:"Mazara Gate") rebuilt in 1572,[17] located in the south-east; Porta di Mare (English:"Sea Gate") (renamed to Porta Garibaldi), rebuilt in 1685,[18] located in the south-west of the town; Porta Nuova (English:"New Gate") was rebuilt in 1790,[19] and is located in the north-west of the town. Thecity council decided todemolish the city walls in 1887 to make way for the rapidly-expanding town. Along with this demolition was demolished the north-east gate called Porta Trapani, constructed in the early 17th century, nicknamed "Porticella" due to its small size in comparison to the other three gates of the town; it used to be located at the intersection ofVia Pellegrino andVia Sardegna.[20]
Situated at the extreme western point ofSicily, the town was founded on Lilibeo Cape from where theAegadian Islands and theStagnone Lagoon can be seen.
The territory of Marsala, 241 square kilometres (93 sq mi), has a rich cultural and landscape heritage; its area includes theStagnone Lagoon, a Natural Reserve in which is located the island ofMozia.
The city of Marsala had a population of about 86,000 until the end of 1970, whenPetrosino, a village formerly part of Marsala, decided to become a self-governing town after a local referendum.
The area of Marsala is classified as aseismic zone 2 (medium). In the last 200 years three earthquakes of medium-high intensity were recorded:
18 May 1828 – magnitude 5.17 (about VIMercalli scale).
15 January 1968 –Belice earthquake which in Marsala reached VII Mercalli scale (although its intensity was as high as X in other locations).
7 June 1981 – magnitude 4.60 (IV–V scala Mercalli scale) with epicentre in Borgo Elefante inMazara del Vallo, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the town-centre of Marsala.
Summers are generally warm with a record maximumtemperature of 37 °C (99 °F) in August 2017.[21] In the summer, due to how dry it is, it is not unusual to experience the effect ofSirocco wind, which brings dust and sand from the Sahara.
Winters are generally rainy and cooler with temperatures ranging between minimum of 1 °C (34 °F) (in December 2014) and 21 °C (70 °F).Snowfall occurs very rarely, since the temperature has never dropped belowfreezing, although snow has fallen before, for example in December 2014.[22]
Climate data for Marsala, Sicily (Temperatures 1961–1990; humidity, sunlight and precipitation 1973–present)
As of 2025, there are 79,693 people residing in Marsala, of whom 49.7% are male and 50.3% are female. Minors make up 15.2% of the population, and pensioners make up 25.0%. This compares with the Italian average of 14.9% minors and 24.7% pensioners.[27]
The economy of Marsala still depends on the production of wine, althoughtourism is a growing industry and it too is becoming an important source of income for the city. With its 14-kilometre (8.7 mi) coastline[28] of sandy beaches and clear sea, access to the nearbyAegadian Islands and the natural environment of the Saline Della Laguna andStagnone Lagoon, Marsala is an important Sicilian tourist destination.[citation needed]
VII April Palace (16th–17th century), built on the site of the Lodge of Pisani.
Fici Palace.
Grignani Palace.
Spanò-Burgio Palace.
Communal theatre, built in 19th Century, consists in 300 seats, reopened in 1994 and dedicated to Eliodoro Sollima.
Cine Teatro Impero, built during Fascism.
Agricultural Technical Institute With Specialized School Wine "Abele Damiani" Marsala – Aggregate IPSAA Strasatti With Hospitality Section (state public high school).
Large-scale wine production started in 1773, encouraged by English trader John Woodhouse. Important winemaking establishments include Ingham-Whitaker, le Cantine Florio, Martinez, Pellegrino, Rallo, Mineo, Bianchi, Baglio Hopps, Donnafugata, Alagna, Caruso e Minini. Marsala cellars produce also red and white wines. Varieties include Alcesti, De Bartoli, Fina, Vinci, Birgi, Mothia, Paolini e Baglio Oro. In 2012, Marsala was named the European Capital of Wine.[29]
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