Trapani
Template:For Template:Redirect2 Template:Expand Italian Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox Italian comune
Trapani (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; Template:IPA; Template:Langx Template:IPA) is a city and municipality (comune) with 54,887 inhabitants,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> on the west coast of Sicily, in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands.
Historically, Trapani developed a thriving economy based on the extraction and trade of salt, benefiting from its strategic position projecting into the Mediterranean Sea, and from its port, which was once the commercial gateway for the ancient city of Eryx (modern-day Erice), situated atop the mountain that overlooks it. Today, its economy relies primarily on the service sector, fishing (historically tuna fishing using traditional methods known as mattanza), marble quarrying and exportation, commercial activities, and tourism.
The urban agglomeration includes approximately 80,000 residents, as it also encompasses the populous district of Casa Santa,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> administratively belonging to the municipality of Erice.
History
Etymology
The city was originally named Drépanon from the Greek word for "sickle", because of the curving shape of its harbour.
Two ancient legends relate supposed mythical origins for the city and its name. In the first legend, Trapani stemmed from the sickle which fell from the hands of the goddess Demeter while she was seeking for her daughter Persephone, who had been kidnapped by Hades. The second myth features Kronos, who eviscerated his father Ouranos, god of the sky, with a sickle which, falling into the sea, created the city. In ancient times, Saturn (i.e., the Punic god Baal Hammon) was the patron god of Trapani. Today, Saturn's statue stands in a piazza in the centre of the city.
In Virgil's Aeneid, Anchises, father of Aeneas, died in Drepanum, and after fleeing from Dido, the Trojan hero returned there to hold funeral games in his honor, known as the ludi novendiales.
Foundation
The founders of the earliest settlement of Drepana were likely the Elymians, a people who inhabited western Sicily during the protohistoric era, with Eryx (modern-day Erice), one of their main centers, overlooking it from Monte Erice. The foundation of Trapani almost certainly predates the fall of Troy (1184 BC). The original village of Trapani probably arose on an island separated from the marshy mainland by a navigable channel, serving as the commercial port for Erice. Due to its favorable geographical location, Trapani quickly developed into a thriving emporium-city.
Carthaginian influence
Between the 9th and 8th centuries BC, Trapani came under Punic influence. Throughout the subsequent wars against the Greeks and Syracuse, Trapani fortified itself and remained a steadfast ally of Carthage. In 260 BC, Hamilcar arrived in Sicily, reinforced the city's defensive walls, and constructed the Castello di Terra, the Torre Pali, and the Torre Peliade (also known as Colombaia). He also relocated part of Erice's population to Trapani. The Carthaginian general Adherbal, who had established his military headquarters in the city, defeated the Romans in the Battle of Drepana. Together with Lilybaeum (modern-day Marsala), Drepana was among the last Carthaginian strongholds in Sicily.
From Roman times to Spanish domination
Trapani's strategic location played a significant role during the First Punic War, notably in 249 BC, when the Carthaginians defeated the Roman fleet in the Battle of Drepana. However, a few years later, in 241 BC, the Romans under Gaius Lutatius Catulus decisively defeated the Carthaginian fleet at the Battle of the Aegates, marking the end of the war. Rome subsequently captured the city, Latinizing its name to Drepanum.
The Romans treated Sicilian cities according to their behavior during the Punic Wars. Drepanum was categorized among the 26 "censorial cities" (civitates censoriae), known for their steadfast resistance against Roman forces. Consequently, Rome penalized the city for its loyalty to Carthage, leading Trapani into a period of decline and depopulation.
After Roman rule, the Vandals and later the Byzantines dominated the city. However, significant growth occurred in the 9th century under Arab rule (from 827), who called the city Itràbinis, Taràbanis, or Tràpanesch, and subsequently under the Normans, who captured Trapani in 1077 under Roger I. In these periods, Trapani flourished commercially and culturally, becoming an essential harbor during the Crusades. Throughout the Middle Ages, Trapani's port was among the most prominent in the Mediterranean; all major maritime republics (Genoa, Pisa, Venice, Amalfi) maintained consulates there. The city notably served as a strategic stopover, especially for Genoa and Pisa, en route to their North African territories.
In 1266, during the War of Saint Sabas, Venetian and Genoese fleets clashed in front of Trapani's harbor, with the Venetians capturing the entire Genoese fleet.
In 1282, after a brief period under Angevin control, Trapani played an active role in the Sicilian Vespers rebellion led by Palmiero Abate, subsequently coming under Aragonese rule. Throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, Trapani expanded, becoming the economic and political center of Western Sicily. In 1478, King Ferdinand II of Aragon honored Trapani with the title Invittissima ("Most Invincible"), acknowledging its steadfast resistance to the kingdom's enemies.
In 1516, Trapani was among the Sicilian cities that rebelled against Hugo de Moncada. The revolt was led by Don Simone Sanclemente, who briefly established himself as Capitano di giustizia (Chief Justice), effectively becoming the city's ruler for several months.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
On August 20, 1535, Emperor Charles V arrived in Trapani after conquering Tunis. Recognizing the city's strategic importance, Charles V described Trapani as the "Key to the Kingdom" and swore to uphold its privileges, including the authority granted to the Senate of Trapani to confer university degrees in medicine, physics, theology, mathematics, fine arts, and law. In 1589, Trapani was formally elevated from Terra (land) to Civitas (city).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The 17th century was marked by decline, driven by famine-induced uprisings in 1647 and 1670–1673, and a severe plague outbreak in 1624. However, in the 18th century, the city's population significantly increased, growing from approximately 16,000 to 25,000 inhabitants.
From Bourbon rule to fascism
Following brief periods under the House of Savoy (1713) and Habsburg rule (1720), Trapani fell under Bourbon dominion starting in the second half of the 18th century, lasting until 1860.
In 1756, Trapani's stonemasons were commissioned to craft the grand staircase (scala regia) of the Royal Palace of Caserta.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During Bourbon rule, several marshlands around Trapani were reclaimed, promoting urban development. Residents actively engaged in the commerce of salt and tuna fishing (tonnare). Trapani participated energetically in the Sicilian revolts of 1848–1849, which were violently suppressed. In 1861, Trapani voted in favor of joining the newly established Kingdom of Italy.
After World War I, during which approximately 700 inhabitants of Trapani lost their lives, the city experienced a period of significant growth. Industries related to salt extraction, tuna fishing, wine, and olive oil production made Trapani a dynamic city, economically and culturally. In 1924, following a visit, Benito Mussolini appointed Cesare Mori as prefect of Trapani. After a little more than a year, Mori was transferred to Palermo and granted extraordinary powers to suppress Mafia activity.
During World War II, Trapani became strategically important as a harbor and submarine base. Its airfields at Milo and Chinisia served as critical logistical hubs for Axis troops in North Africa. The city endured extensive bombardments, beginning with French attacks on June 22, 1940, followed by RAF raids on November 10, 1941, and May 31, 1942, as well as 27 subsequent Anglo-American bombings from January to July 1943. These air raids severely damaged Trapani, destroying its historic San Pietro neighborhood entirely and placing the city ninth among Italy’s most heavily bombed provincial capitals. On July 22, 1943, General Patton's Allied forces entered Trapani, encountering a severely devastated city.
Contemporary era
In the 1946 referendum, the Province of Trapani was the only one in Sicily to vote predominantly in favor of the Republic, although the city itself expressed a monarchist preference. Between 1950 and 1965, Trapani gradually revived its industrial and commercial activities, yet it never fully recovered from the post-war crisis, retreating instead into a service-oriented economy and administrative functions associated with its provincial capital status. The Belice Valley earthquake in January 1968 caused death and destruction in Trapani as well. The city also suffered fatalities in the floods of 1965 and November 5, 1976, the latter resulting in 16 deaths.
Starting in the 1990s, Trapani proactively promoted itself as a tourist, historical, cultural, and sporting destination. This transformation involved restoring the historic city center, developing new urban infrastructure, expanding hospitality and entertainment sectors, and emphasizing its significant historic, architectural, and natural heritage.
In recent years, Trapani has gained international prominence by hosting major cultural exhibitions featuring artists such as Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo (the rediscovered Crucifix), and notable sporting events, including stages of the prestigious Louis Vuitton Cup.
Geography
Template:See also The comune of Trapani consists of two discontiguous parts separated by the comune of Paceco. The northern part includes much of the city and some rural area; the much larger southern part includes the area of Marausa, half of Trapani-Birgi Airport and a large rural area. The comune does not include the north-eastern suburbs of the urban area, such as Casa Santa, which are part of the comune of Erice. The comune of Trapani has a population of 70,000 but the entire urban, including those parts in the comune of Erice, has over 90,000 residents.
Economy
Traditional industries in Trapani have included fishing, coral harvesting, salt production and agri-food processing, but the city’s economy has shifted markedly towards services in recent decades. In the province of Trapani the service sector accounts for nearly 59% of employment, with a predominance of public administration, logistics and tourism-related activities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other developments include a growing visitor economy, emerging blue-economy and renewable-energy activities, and significant investment in waterfront and port-regeneration projects.
Tourism
Trapani’s visitor economy is shaped by its coastal setting, historic port and proximity to major attractions. Its beaches, waterfront and ferry routes draw visitors to the Aegadian Islands—Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo—while the city also serves as a base for excursions to Erice, Segesta and the wine-producing areas of western Sicily.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Riserva naturale integrale Saline di Trapani e Paceco is a key attraction, comprising around 1,000 ha of historic salt-pans and wetlands known for their windmills and seasonal birdlife.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The municipality has invested in regeneration projects to strengthen its tourism offer, including new pedestrian access, lighting and paving along the Mura di Tramontana as part of a wider €60-million waterfront plan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Further works include the Punta Tipa Urban Park (€5.2 million) and the EU-funded renovation of the city’s historic fish market (€2 million).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Port facilities have also been modernised with a €7–8 million cruise-and-passenger terminal, reinforcing Trapani’s role as a maritime gateway for western Sicily.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
According to the Osservatorio Turistico della Regione Siciliana, Trapani and the Aegadian Islands show strong summer seasonality, with hotel stays and island arrivals recording steady growth and an increasing share of international visitors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Logistics and shipping
The Port of Trapani serves as an export gateway for regional products including sea salt, wine, olive oil, marble and canned tuna.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2023 it handled about 605,833 tonnes of cargo, making logistics and maritime trade an important component of the local economy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The port’s facilities include a cargo terminal of approximately 25,000 m² equipped with two 100-ton mobile cranes, four reach-stackers and associated handling equipment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ongoing works include a €60.5 million project, funded under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), to deepen access channels and modernise quay facilities at the Ronciglio east pier.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cargo throughput rose markedly in the first nine months of 2025, when 558,461 tonnes were handled, a year-on-year increase of 25.6%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Aviation
Trapani–Birgi Airport (TPS) contributes substantially to local employment and tourism spending, and military activities generate additional economic impact in the surrounding municipalities.
The airport handled 1,074,939 passengers in 2024,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with continued growth driven by expanded routes and the establishment of a Ryanair operational base.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The airport also hosts a major military installation: it is home to the Italian Air Force’s 37° Stormo and has been designated as an international training site for the F-35 Lightning II programme, reinforcing Trapani’s strategic role in the central Mediterranean.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Business and innovation
Trapani has developed activities in the blue economy and renewable-energy sectors, supported by EU maritime programmes and local fisheries initiatives such as the FLAG Torri e Tonnare del Litorale Trapanese, which promotes sustainable fisheries and small marine enterprises.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area also hosts research and pilot projects in marine biotechnology and aquaculture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Port of Trapani has been identified as a potential logistics and assembly hub for offshore wind and low-carbon maritime industries, with port authorities examining options for hydrogen-ready and alternative-fuel infrastructure in line with EU decarbonisation strategies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Research links are supported by the University of Palermo’s Trapani campus, which conducts work in environmental sciences and coastal management.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Trapani also forms part of the ZES Sicilia, offering incentives for investment in logistics and renewable-energy services.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Housing
A 2025 analysis by Abitare Co. identified Trapani as the most dynamic housing market in Sicily in the first half of 2025, with 94 residential sales per 10,000 adult inhabitants and annual growth of 7.2%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Average asking prices remain comparatively low: in October 2025 residential property in the municipality averaged around €931 per m².<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cost-of-living indices estimate that a single person’s monthly expenses, including rent, are approximately US$1,573 (≈ €1,450).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
These conditions—relatively low price levels combined with rising transaction volumes—have contributed to interest from retirees, second-home buyers and property investors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Transport
Trapani’s transport network comprises air, sea and land links, including an international airport, ferry services, a cable car to Erice, and integrated bus and rail connections.
Air
The city is served by Trapani–Birgi Airport (TPS), located about 15 km south of Trapani, which functions as one of western Sicily’s principal passenger airports. It offers domestic and international flights operated mainly by low-cost carriers; Ryanair has announced the opening of an operational base at the airport from January 2026, adding based aircraft and expanding route coverage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The airport is managed by Airgest and handles over one million passengers annually.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A rail link under construction will connect the terminal with Trapani and the wider Sicilian rail network.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sea
Trapani’s port provides passenger and ferry services alongside commercial operations. A cruise and passenger terminal, completed in 2021 at a cost of about €8 million, accommodates visiting cruise liners close to the historic centre.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> High-speed ferry connections to the Aegadian Islands and Pantelleria operate from the fast-ferry terminal at Molo Marinella.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Port facilities are being upgraded as part of a wider waterfront redevelopment programme, which includes a one-kilometre port–city interface, a 300-metre pier and dredging of approximately 200,000 m³.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rail
The city is served by the main station at Trapani railway station (Piazza Umberto I), with regional services linking to Marsala, Mazara del Vallo and Palermo (via Castelvetrano).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A major infrastructure project—the restoration and electrification of the Palermo–Trapani line via Milo, budgeted at €323 million and due for completion in 2026—aims to shorten journey times by up to 50 minutes, eliminate level crossings in Trapani and link the airport to the rail network.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Bus
Local and suburban bus services in Trapani are operated by ATM Trapani, linking the city centre with surrounding areas including Casa Santa and the lower districts of Erice, Paceco and the cable-car station for Erice.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Regional operators such as AST and Tarantola provide inter-city routes to destinations including Marsala, Mazara del Vallo, Palermo and the airports at Palermo and Trapani–Birgi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cable car
The Funivia Trapani-Erice connects the city of Trapani to Erice in around ten minutes, offering panoramic views of the salt-pans and islands. A compulsory twenty-year general overhaul commenced in early 2025,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a publicly tendered contract for the conservative refurbishment of all 42 cabins — including new transparent panels and upholstery — is due to be completed by 30 September 2026.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Landmarks
The old city of Trapani dates from the later medieval or early modern periods; there are no more remains of the ancient city and many of the city's historic buildings are designed in the Baroque style.
- The Church of Sant'Agostino (14th century)
- The Church of Santa Maria di Gesù (15th–16th centuries)
- Basilica-Sanctuary of Maria Santissima Annunziata (also called "Madonna di Trapani") originally built in 1315–1332 and rebuilt in 1760. It houses Museo regionale Agostino Pepoli and a marble statue of the Madonna of Trapani, which might be attributed to the work of Nino Pisano.
- Fontana di Tritone ("Triton's Fountain")
- The Baroque Palazzo della Giudecca or Casa Ciambra.
- The cathedral (built in 1421, but restored in the 18th century by Giovanni Biagio Amico). It includes a painting of "Annunciation" attributed to Anthony van Dyck.
- Church of Maria SS. dell'Intria, an example of Sicilian Baroque.
- Church of Badia Nuova, a small Baroque church.
- Castello di Terra, a ruined 12th-century castle, today police office.
- Ligny Tower, a 17th-century watchtower housing Phreistory museum.
- Regional Museum Agostino Pepoli - Located in the 14th-century Carmelite convent, adjacent to the Sanctuary of Basilica-Sanctuary of Maria Santissima Annunziata, it is one of the most important Sicilian museums. It houses acollection of decorative arts, sculptures (including works by the Gagini), cribs and coral jewelry, and an art gallery that includes, among others, paintings by Titian and Giacomo Balla.
- Museum of Prehistory - It is housed inside the seventeenth-century Torre di Ligny, on the extreme western point of the city, and preserves important prehistoric evidence of human presence in the area, as well as finds (artifacts, amphorae, anchors, a Punic helmet) from the sea of Trapani.
- Museum of Contemporary Art San Rocco - Housed inside Palazzo San Rocco, in the historic center.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- DiArt, diocesan collection of permanent religious art, housed in the episcopal seminary of Raganzìli in Casa Santa locality.
- Diocesan Museum, in the Church of Sant'Agostino
- Optical Illusions Museum<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Specus Corallii designed by architect Antonino Cardillo<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Culture
Religious traditions
The city of Trapani is renowned for its annual Processione dei Misteri di Trapani (commonly called the "Misteri di Trapani"), a Good Friday passion-procession held since at least 1612.<ref name="italytravelandlife1612">Template:Cite web</ref> Each year the procession begins in the afternoon and carries on into the night and often past midnight, making it among the longest continuous religious processions in Italy.<ref name="zgtransfers24">Template:Cite web</ref> The route winds through the historic city centre, accompanied by bands and tradition-bearing porters (massari) who bear up to twenty sculptural groups (known as "Misteri")—carved and assembled in Trapani between the 17th and 18th centuries, representing scenes of the Passion of Christ.<ref name="italia2">Template:Cite web</ref> Each of the traditional city guilds (maestranze) plays a functional role in the event: each "Mistero" is cared for and carried by representatives of a specific historical trade or craft.<ref name="massari">Template:Cite web</ref>
The annual feast of the Madonna di Trapani is one of the major religious-civil events of the city. The celebrations begin on 1 August with a "quindicina" (fifteen-day period of devotion), and reach their peak between 13 and 16 August, culminating on 16 August with a solemn pontifical Mass in the cathedral, a procession through the historic centre carrying a simulacrum of the Madonna, and fireworks over the harbour. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The city also honours Saint Albert of Trapani (Sant’Alberto), a 13th-century Carmelite priest born in Trapani, on 7 August each year. On his feast day the town engages in liturgical celebration, a procession of his bust or relic-simulacrum, and the traditional blessing of water in memory of the miracle attributed to him. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Festivals and events
Trapani hosts a range of annual cultural festivals that highlight the city’s vibrant arts, music and pop-culture scene. These events attract both locals and visitors from across Sicily and beyond, and help underscore the city’s role as a lively cultural hub on the western coast of the island.
- Luglio Musicale Trapanese – A long-running season of opera, concerts and dance each summer in Trapani, staged in venues such as Villa Margherita and the Chiostro di San Domenico. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Trapani Comix & Games – A festival of pop culture, comics, video games, cosplay and illustration, held at Villa Margherita each spring.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Green Valley Pop Fest – A large-scale pop-music festival held in Trapani featuring major Italian pop and dance artists; the festival also promotes environmental and sustainability themes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Trapani Film Festival – A week-long film festival held in August in Trapani at Villa Margherita, featuring film premieres, screenings, music and workshops in the heart of the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Trapani Pride – The city hosted it's first LGBTQ+ march in 2025, a celebration of identity, rights and culture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Performing arts
The principal indoor performing-arts venue in Trapani is the Teatro Maestro Tonino Pardo, located at Via Francesco Sceusa in the city centre. The theatre, reopened in December 2016 following restoration, features around 650 seats and a stage area of approximately 150 m².<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Operated in collaboration with the Ente Luglio Musicale Trapanese, it hosts a diverse year-round programme of opera, concerts, dance and theatre, thereby playing a central role in the city’s cultural infrastructure.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Cine Teatro Ariston, in Trapani’s historic centre, was entirely renovated during the COVID period, including a full refurbishment of the auditorium with new seating and acoustic systems, the introduction of a dedicated "museum area" displaying historic equipment, and the re-launch of a diverse 2025/26 season of theatre, comedy, music and cinema.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Literature
The English writer Samuel Butler argued, following visits to Trapani in the late 19th century, that the city and its surrounding coastline inspired both Odysseus’s homeland of Ithaca and Scheria, the land of the Phaeacians where Odysseus encounters Nausicaa, in Homer’s Odyssey.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Butler’s theory, which also proposed a female authorship for the poem, is not widely accepted by classical scholars but remains a notable example of modern literary engagement with the topography of Trapani and the western coast of Sicily.
The novelist Stefania Auci, born in Trapani in 1974, rose to national prominence with her historical saga I leoni di Sicilia (2019), which became a publishing phenomenon in Italy and abroad. Her work highlights Sicilian history and family enterprise, contributing significantly to Trapani’s contemporary literary identity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Another notable work set in the city is Lucio e l’acqua (1969/2013) by Trapani-based doctor-writer Franco Di Marco. The novel, set in Trapani province in the 1960s, follows a provincial doctor navigating social and infrastructural challenges, and vividly evokes the local landscape of the city and its surroundings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Art
The Museo d’Arte Contemporanea San Rocco is housed in the former church-convent of San Rocco. Founded as a diocesan collection of contemporary religious art (Collezione DiART) in 2004 and re-installed in this location in 2012, it now displays works by over 130 artists from 22 countries, including names such as Carla Accardi, Turi Simeti and Alberto Gianquinto, and stages periodic exhibitions of Italian and international contemporary art.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The city’s long-standing crafts tradition includes the production of finely carved red coral devotional plaques (capezzale) — a form of objet d’art tied to Trapani’s coral-fishing and processing industries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Trapani was the birthplace of the Sicilian-Baroque painter Domenico La Bruna (1699-1763), whose altarpieces and fresco cycles in the city’s churches attest to its role as a centre of regional artistic production.<ref name="DiFerro">Template:Cite book</ref>
Gastronomy
Trapani and its surrounding territory are known for several items listed among the Prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali (P.A.T.) of Sicily, as recognised by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These traditional products reflect the area’s longstanding links to wheat cultivation, garlic farming, artisanal salt production and tuna processing.
- Sale marino di Trapani – sea salt harvested from the historic salt pans between Trapani and Paceco, produced using natural evaporation.
- Aglio rosso di Nubia (red garlic of Nubia/Paceco) – a local red garlic variety traditionally tied into braids for storage.
- Pomodoro siccagnu pizzutello di Paceco – a small, pointed tomato cultivated using low-water “siccagno” dry-farming methods.
- Melone giallo di Paceco – a late-ripening yellow winter melon traditionally stored and consumed through the colder months.
- Busiati col pesto alla trapanese – a pasta dish made with busiati and a pesto of almonds, tomatoes, garlic and basil, considered a signature preparation of Trapani cuisine.
In 2025 the Municipality of Trapani adopted its first DECO (Denominazione Comunale d’Origine) regulations to protect and promote three traditional local products:
- Pane Trapanese, a rustic bread typically made with durum wheat semolina and often topped with sesame
- Cuscusu Trapanese, a local variant of couscous traditionally steamed and served with fish broth; and
- Rianata Trapanese, a thick, pan-baked pizza strongly seasoned with oregano (riano in local dialect), tomato, anchovies and pecorino.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Other products closely associated with Trapani include the mufuletta, a soft round bread scented with fennel or aniseed and traditionally eaten in the city on 11 November (Saint Martin's Day); lattume di tonno, the cooked and often preserved milt of bluefin tuna from the historic local tonnare; and cassatelle trapanesi, small deep-fried pastry crescents filled with sweetened sheep's milk ricotta and chocolate, a characteristic dessert of the Trapani area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Each summer the city hosts the annual Stragusto street-food festival. Set in the historic centre, the festival brings together Mediterranean food traditions, local wines and live music, turning the city into a vibrant culinary open-air theatre. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sport
From September 28 to October 9, 2005, Trapani was the location of Acts 8 and 9 of the Louis Vuitton Cup. This sailing race featured, among other entrants, all the boats that took part in the 2007 America's Cup.
The town is also the base for the local football team Trapani Calcio. Founded in 1905, they are nicknamed the Granata (the Maroons) after their kit colour. In 2010, Trapani Calcio was admitted into the 2010–11 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (formerly Serie C2), ending the club's 13-year absence from the professional ranks. Subsequently, it made debut in Serie B in the 2013–14 season. It currently plays in Serie B with the coach Fabrizio Castori.
Climate
Trapani has a hot-summer mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers coupled with moderately wet and mild winters. Summer lows are cooler than in other places of Sicily and Calabria, while at the same time remaining significantly warm for several months.
International relations
Twin towns and sister cities
Trapani is twinned with:
- Template:Flagicon Constanța, Romania
- Template:Flagicon Les Sables-d'Olonne, France
- Template:Flagicon Roquefort-les-Pins, France
- Template:Flagicon Würselen, Germany
Gallery
See also
References
Bibliography
External links
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- Museum Agostino Pepoli Template:In lang
- Tuna fisheries Template:Webarchive
- Salt route Template:Webarchive
- Template:Cite EB1911
Template:Province of TrapaniTemplate:Phoenician cities and coloniesTemplate:Authority control