Description of the attraction
Mazara del Vallo is a city in the southwestern part of Sicily, located on the left bank of the Mazzaro River. It is the agricultural and fishing center of the province of Trapani, and the largest fishing fleet in Italy is based in its port.
Mazara was founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC. - translated in the ancient language, the name of the city means "Rock". For many hundreds of years it was ruled by different peoples - Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Ostrogoths and Byzantines, until it was conquered by the Arabs in 827. During the Arab rule of Sicily, the island was divided into three administrative regions - Val di Noto, Val Demon and Val di Mazara, which made the city an important commercial and educational center. Today, only the Madzary district, known as Kazbakh, reminds of that period.
In 1072, Sicily was conquered by the Normans under the leadership of Roger I. It was at that time - in 1093 - that the Catholic Archbishopric of Mazara del Vallo was founded. In the 13-15th centuries, the city experienced political, economic and demographic decline, and then it turned into an ordinary provincial settlement.
Today Mazara is considered one of the most important fishing centers in the country, despite the fact that in recent years there has been an obvious crisis in this industry, primarily due to the fact that people no longer want to work on boats.
Mazara del Vallo is also one of the Italian cities with the largest percentage of immigrants, with at least 3,500 registered immigrants, mostly from Tunisia and other countries of the Maghreb. They prefer to settle around the ancient Arab city center, where a special school has been established for them, teaching only Arabic and French.
Mazara gained all-European fame in March 1998, when local fishermen raised a bronze statue from the bottom of the Sicilian Strait, called the Dancing Satyr. It is believed to have been made by the ancient Greek sculptor Praxiteles and can be seen today in the local museum. The statue is now one of the landmarks of Mazzara.
Other tourist attractions in the city are the Norman Arch - the ruins of a medieval castle built in 1073 and demolished in 1880, and numerous churches. Among the latter, it is worth highlighting the Church of San Nicolo Regale, erected in 1124, a rare example of Norman architecture, and the Seminary building, built in 1710 and surrounded by the main city square - Piazza della Repubblica. The Church of San Vito a Mare was erected in honor of Saint Vitus, a native of Mazzara and patron saint of the city.
