Experience Sicily

Tag: mozia

  • “Pip” Whitaker

    On the island of Mozia, off of Marsala, is the G. Whitaker Museum, named for Giuseppe, or Joseph Whitaker (1850-1936), who was affectionately known as “Pip.” Pip was the son of Joseph Whitaker, Senior, an entrepreneur from West Yorkshire, England. The Whitakers, like their industrious counterparts the Woodhouses, Hopps, Inghams, and Pynes, came to Sicily…

  • Prime Real Estate

    A view of the island of Mozia from a distance. Mozia (or Motya) was one of the three major settlements in Sicily of the Phoenicians between the 8th and 7th centuries BC along with Solunto and Panormos (Palermo).

  • The Youth of Motya (Mozia)

    The world-renowned “Youth of Motya” is a mid-5th century BC statue made of Parian marble. It was uncovered on the Island of Motya (or Mozia) in 1979 under a mound of dirt and rubble thought to have been created as a barricade during an ancient siege. It has finally returned to Motya after touring the…

  • Fill My Heart with Wind

    This afternoon, on our way back from the ancient Phoenician outpost of Mozia, the salt flats of Marsala and their antique windmills romanced us. See the white mounds on the right? That is sea salt drying before being exported to kitchens around the world.

  • Le Saline or Saltworks of Trapani and Marsala

    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…

  • Trapani’s Treasures

    The shores of Trapani offer a window into its ancient Phoenician past on the island of Mothia or Mozia and to one of Sicily’s ancient industries: salt mining at the Stagno and Trapani salt marshes, where still today, the sea’s salt is extracted and exported to kitchens around the world. Note the windmills in the…