Mazara del Vallo

The ancient city overlooking the Strait of Sicily to the left of the river Mazaro, on the same site where presumably the Phoenicians founded the trading colony Mazara, indigenous name which mean 'castle'. Due to its location and acquired importance as an emporium that as a fortress. Had some bloom even during the Roman domination, and this time there are some vestiges. True glory was during the Arab domination. The Arabs landed in Mazara to begin the occupation of the island and placed the city at the head of one of the three administrative districts, then divided Sicily. The various Muslim travelers who visited the magnificarono, extolling the fertility of the land, the quality and quantity of business, economic prosperity, the prosperity of the plantations and gardens, the beauty of the buildings. All that remained indelible in the city today, as it has been handed down unchanged road layout. With the advent of the Normans, the city was enriched with churches, convents and monasteries, and was surrounded by walls. New interventions affected the monumental city in the XVI - XVIII, and in 1852, with the demolition of the walls ruggeriane, expansion began in the area. Particularly interesting to visit is the port channel, constructed on the River Mazaro commercial center of the city. It overlooks one of the oldest areas: along the shores inhabited by the Arab traders, whose blood was visibly perpetuated in the veins of the local people.