The Sicilian City of Trapani is located on the western coast of Italy. Specifically, it rests on a very favourable location, facing the fabulous Mediterranean Sea. This fishing city is said to be founded by ancient Greeks to serve as a gateway to Erice and the more well-known islands of Egadi. A big part of Trapani City’s living depends on the sea. Major industries include canning and fishing. Top export products include wine, marble, and rock salt.The old name of Trapani City was Drepanon, which actually means “sickle” in Greek language. In fact, two ancient Greek legends claim to be the origin of Trapani City. The first legend says that when Persophone was abducted by Hades, the former’s mother, Demeter, came to look for her. While Demeter was looking for his kidnapped daughter, the sickle that she was holding fell—and that was the start of Trapani City.

The second myth, on the other hand, can clearly be exemplified by Saturn’s monument at the center of Trapani city’s piazza. During the ancient times, the god of the sky, Saturn, was believed to be the protector of Trapani. The legend says that a sickle that Saturn used to eviscerate his father, Chronos, fell to the sea. As a result, it formed the present sickle-shaped city of Trapani.

Trapani, Sicily, is accessible by land, water, and air. Trains and buses are available into and from the neighboring city of Palermo. These transportations also travel to the neighboring places of Sciacca, Selinunte ruins, Marsala, Segesta, Mazara del Vallo, and Agrigento. By air, the city of Trapani has a small airport. It has domestic flights to and from the Italian cities of Milan and Rome. By water, boats sail regularly to Egadi islands. Hydrofoils are sometimes available for trips to and from Tunis and Pantelleria.

Trapani City is ideal for hikers. This Sicilian city is small enough that everything is just a walking distance. But if transportation is preferred, the public railway station is just near Trapani’s business centers. The bus station, for one, is located just across the ferry port.

Small as the city may be, there are so many must-see sights in Trapani. To start with, the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima Annunziata is a favorite among religious devotees. Also called as Madonna di Trapani, the basilica was founded in the 1300s and was rebuilt in the 1700s. The marbles statue of the Virgin Mary is said to be made by Nino Pisano.

Other architectural structures that Trapani City take pride of are the Triton’s Fountain or also known as Fontana del Tritone, Casa Ciambra or otherwise known as the Baroque Palazzo della Giudecca, and the corso Vittorio Emanuele building structures.

Also, Trapani is famous for the I misteri, an Easter procession tradition of the townsfolk. The sixteen-hour procession occurs on Good Friday and ends on Holy Saturday.

Travelers can temporarily stay on Macotta, a presentable and surprisingly affordable hotel in Trapani. While staying in Macotta, it is also advisable for tourists to experience a sumptuous pizza experience in Calvino or take home a plateful of delicious treats from Da Salvator.

Since the city of Trapani is fairly small, why not discover the wonder of the equally beautiful neighboring towns. A visit to the theater ruins and the ancient Greek temple in Segasta would surely be a worthwhile experience. Taking the road through Palermo, a visit to the ruins would make a good diurnal adventure. From the fish ports of Trapani, it is also good to take a refreshing escape and have fun on the bays and beaches of the wonderful Egadi islands. The hilltop historic town of Elice is worth visiting too. It can be reached by land travel, by way of the regular passenger buses. But for the adventurous at heart,
basking the beauty of Elice through the newly installed cable cars sounds exciting.

Truly Trapani City is an abode of religious structures. The Cathedral, which was built in the 1600s, can be found in Trapani City along with other churches. Examples are the churches of Sant’Agostina, which was built during the fourteenth century, and the fifteenth-century Santa Maria di Gesu.

In terms of athletics, the sailing race participants for the 2007 America’s Cup has notably gone to Trapani City. This is because the Louis Vuitton Cup was held in this Sicilian City. Specifically, acts 8 and 9 of the said cup took place in Trapani a year ago.

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