Marsala

Marsala, a seaport on the westernmost point of Sicily, 102 miles by rail and 55 as the crow flies SW. of Palermo. Pop. of town (1881) 19,750; of commune, 40,250 (45,000 in 1893). It is defended by a citadel, has a cathedral and an academy of sciences, and carries on a large trade in wine, the well-known Marsala, which became popular from having been supplied to the British fleet in 1802. It resembles sherry, and is exported principally to England and the West Indies. The town occupies the site of Lilybæum, the ancient capital of the Carthaginian settlements in Sicily, and was selected by Garibaldi as his landing-point for the Sicilian campaign of 1860. It obtained its present name from the Saracens, who occupied it in the 9th century, but were driven out by the Normans in the 11th. The harbour was filled up by the Emperor Charles V. to prevent a Turkish attack; it was reconstructed during the 19th century. On an average some 2000 vessels of 170,000 tons burden (one-fifth British) enter every year, bringing chiefly staves, grain, and spirits to the annual value of £60,000. The total exports reach an annual value of £450,000, of which over £430,000 is for wine.