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Tourist information - Trapani

Trapani, (Zip Code 91100), chief town, is 173 km. distant from Agrigento, 241 km. from Caltanissetta, 348 km. from Catania, 260 km. from Enna, 358 km. from Messina, 99 km. from Palermo, 309 km. from Ragusa, 390 km. from Siracusa.

The municipality has 69.497 inhabitants and its area is 27.165 hectares for a density of population of 256 inhabitants per square kilometre. The city rises on a plan zone and is 3 metres above sea-level.

The growth of the city is prevalently terziary, it is rather important as a harbour and trading centre. In the industrial field it takes place activities of marble production, tunny fishing, salt and wine productions.

The city arose from a village peopled by Sicilian, the Greek called it Drepanon that means sickle, just because the shape of the promontory on which the old city was placed is arcuated. The promontory ends with the present Torre di Ligny (Tower of Ligny).

Trapani during Phoenician period, in the VIII century B.C. was an emporium and a strategic call on trading Mediterranean routes, then it became one of the main base for the Carthaginians. It was conquered by the Romans in 241 B.C. and for the city began a slow decline lasted till the end of Byzantine period.

Enclosed into quadrangular walls, the city knew a period of great economic prosperity under the Arabs and it also continued under the Normans who raised it to royal city. So jeweller's art and coral industry flourished as well as maritime and trading activities.

Trapani became a halting-place on the route for the Crusades at the end of the XIII century with Pietro of Aragona and in 1817 it was elevated to chief city. In 1860 it furnished an elevated number of volunteers to the expedition of Garibaldi

Valuable and famous is the marble statue of Madonna col Bambino (Madonna with Baby), called Trapani's Madonna, placed inside the Sanctuary of Virgin Mary. Many and beautiful churches are present in this city. Besides the previous sanctuary, there is St. Lorenzo Cathedral, erected in 1635 on a anterior church of 1300. Its baroque front is very elegant with its portico.

One of the marvels of Trapani is the Procession of the Mysteries that takes place on the Good Friday night. During it different episodes of Jesus' Passion and Death are performed. It is a very evocative manifestation and twenty wood groups (Mysteries) of the XIII century pass all night through the town's streets. They are followed by the believers dressing sailor-suits and by bands.