Marsala

Marsala, a seaport at the westernmost point Off the heel of Sicily, stands on the site of the ancient Lilybaeum. It was for two centuries in the hands of the Saracens, who were driven out by the Normans in the 11th century. Here Garibaldi landed in ] 860. The harbour, which had been disused for nearly three centuries, was reconstructed in the 19th century; it is defended by a citadel. The trade in Marsala wine, now large, dates only from 1802, when it was supplied to the British fleet.