The saltworks or “Le Saline” of Trapani and Marsala have been exploited since Phoenician times (c. 800 BC). The shallow salty waters, high temperatures, and arid winds make for excellent conditions for harvesting salt from the sea. For centuries, windmills mechanized the process of cultivating and processing the salt that is exported to kitchens throughout the world.

In ancient times, the Phoenicians (later Cartheginians) used the salt they harvested to preserve the plethora of tuna they expertly caught in the surrounding seas.