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Trapani
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Sicily
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Trapani (TP)
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3
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271
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December 31 , 2004
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70,735
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249
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CET , UTC +1
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Marausa, Xitta, Palma, Fontanasalsa, Guarrato, Fulgatore, Salinagrande, Locogrande, Rilievo, Borgo Fazio, Ummari
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0923
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91100
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Trapanesi
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St Albert
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August 7
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Girolamo Fazio (from November 26 , 2001 )
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wwwcomunetrapaniit
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(
2004 population 67,456) is a city in the west coast of
Sicily in
Italy . It is the capital of the
Province Of Trapani .
. The islands of
Favignana (left) and
Levanzo (right) can be seen in the background.]]
The ancient name of Trapani was ''
Drépanon '' or ''Drepana'', the Greek word for "sickle", because of the shape of its harbour which curves out into the
Mediterranean Sea . The city was built to serve as port of the nearby city of
Erice (''Eryx''), which overlooks it from Monte San Giuliano. Two ancient legends tell of mythical origins for the city. In the first legend, Trapani stemmed from the sickle fallen from the hands of the prosperity goddess
Demetra while she was seeking for her daughter
Persephone , who had been kidnapped by
Hades . The second myth features
Saturn , god of the sky, who eviscerated his father
Chronos with a sickle which, falling into the sea, created the city. In ancient times Saturn was the god-protector of the Trapani. Today Saturn's statue stands in a piazza in the centre of the city.
As for the true story of Trapani, Drepanum is known to have fallen to the
Carthaginians in
260 BC . Subsequently, it passed to the
Romans in
241 BC . Thenceforth it followed the history of southern Italy generally, and Sicily in particular through the
Middle Ages and into the
Modern Era . Trapani was heavily damaged by Allied bombardments during
World War II .
Trapani is an Episcopal seat and has many interesting monuments. The main ones are:
- The Church of ( 14th Century , with the splendid rose-window
- The Church of ( 15th Century - 16th Century )
- The magnificent (also called Madonna di Trapani was originally built in 1315 - 1332 and rebuilt in 1760 ). It houses a marble statue of the Madonna of Trapani, which might be the work of Nino Pisano
- '''Fontana di Tritone'' ('' Triton's Fountain'')
- The Baroque ''Palazzo della Giudecca '''or Casa Ciambra
- The ( 1635 )
The main attractions of the region are the
Egadi Islands, which are linked to
Sicily by ferries going to and from Trapani, the
Erice mount, which is reachable by cable car from the city, the old
Greek city of
Segesta with one of the best preserved
Doric temples in the world, and the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro (Natural Reserve of the Gipsy).
Over the centuries the salt-pans and related
Salt industries along the coast have created a unique environment of great cultural and economic relevance. This route is called ''Via del sale'' ("the salt road"). Several still active salt mills lie along this road. Fishing also flourishes, especially the famous tuna or
Tonnare which are caught by fishermen who still use the
Mattanza technique to catch the
Tunnies . Other local resources include
Marble and
Coral . The port exports
Salt and
Wine
Trapani has had problems in recent years as a centre for drug-trafficking, since it is the major port on the western end of the island.
From
28 September to
9 October 2005 Trapani was the location of Acts 8 & 9 of the
Louis Vuitton Cup . This sailing race featured, among others entrants, all the boats that will take part in the
2007 America's Cup .
