"Trapani is the heart of every wonder of the senses"
cit. Francesca Pacini (writer)

How to blame you my friend!

I would also add its entire province because this part of Western Sicily is an immensely rich land: rich in history, culture, suggestive landscapes, magnificent sunsets, good food and above all full of people who welcome you with their Mediterranean warmth.

I got to know Sicily through the eyes of a Sicilian DOC who fascinated me, first with his stories about one of the Egadi Islands, the one that still maintains a "wild and uncontaminated" flavor: Marettimo, in whose waters the Punic war where the Carthaginians were defeated by the Roman army had happened.

There are many remains that testify to the passage over the years of populations that have contributed to making this island "unique" in her own way.

Marettimo is an island that extends for 12.3 square kilometers and where part of its sea and its depths are strictly protected.

Only the fishing boats, who know every inch of the coast and underwater seabed, have the authorization to navigate and show tourists the pristine island, whose coast full of caves falls sheer into the sea. It is the island where I spent my first Sicilian weekend and where my love for Western Sicily took root.

Favignana and Levanzo also had a strong positive impact on me; they too tell and excite with their coasts, colors, landscapes. I have always visited Favignana and Levanzo during the day, reaching them by sea, preparing a packed breakfast and in the company of numerous friends.

I was enchanted by the beauty and clarity of the water of the port of Levanzo, by the famous coves of Favignana, where many tourists flock every summer and are fascinated by these wonderful places.

On the islands you can stay or decide to visit them in the day, in fact from the port of Trapani there are regular connections.

Trapani, the "city between two seas", develops on a narrow strip of land surrounded by the sea, on whose extreme point stands Torre di Ligny which houses a museum of prehistory inside.

My stays in Trapani are intense, I can assure you that you won't get bored. The city offers a lot:

- the Pepoli Museum, famous for hosting the richest and most exciting collection of Corals. The last master caraddaru is considered a Unesco Living Treasure

- the Church of Purgatory which houses the sacred groups of the mysteries (the rites take place during the Easter period and it is pure emotion).

- the walls of Tramontana and the fish market where every summer an event linked to local street food takes place, a riot of flavors and smells that overwhelm you with impetus.

- the streets of the historic center, full of baroque palaces, are full of clubs where you can spend cheerful and carefree evenings sitting at one of the many outdoor tables of the city's restaurants and bars.

- the beaches of San Giuliano, kilometers of white sand and crystal clear water in the city.

Well, the surroundings of Trapani deserve too, first and foremost Erice. It seems only right to leave the description of this medieval village to an authentic Erice, cousin, friend and writer:

"Yes, yes, Erice, I'll tell you that I'm in love with her! In the world it is known as a city of science thanks to the Ettore Maiorana center for physical studies, founded by professor Zichichi. In the classrooms created from the halls of ancient buildings and old deconsecrated churches, in fact, the center annually organizes conferences and symposiums for scientists from all over the world, and also often hosts modern and contemporary art exhibitions. On these occasions, within the Elymian-Punic walls of this small city with a suggestive architecture, faces of a thousand colors swarm. Erice preserves the traces of the passage of the peoples who founded it, as well as those who colonized it and who still live it now. Houses, palaces and villas, with stone walls overlook winding streets paved with time-worn cobblestones. There are 67 churches that guard the treasures of the extraordinary history of this enchanted place and, walking along paths and venules, it always seems to be able to relive the legends. La Matrice with its Frederick's tower welcomes visitors and the faithful as soon as they cross the Porta Trapani: its ceiling is a real embroidery on a white lace. Here it is! Erice gives the impression of being inside a fairytale. Between the stones of the walls, there is always a bit of moss whose green scent mixes with the scent of the convent pastry, which here has a very ancient tradition. Crossing the immense gates of the city, you will let yourself be pervaded by this mixed scent of almonds, boxwood, “mustazzoli” and sugar. The local shops show off the colors of precious handcrafted ceramics and intertwining carpets woven on the traditional loom by craftsmen who have handed down the techniques for generations. For centuries the pagan peoples have venerated the goddess Astarte as the protector of this city and it seems that the sensual veil of the goddess of love continues to float on the battlements of the castles and among the hedges of the gardens, when the lower clouds envelop the town. in coils of soft wadding. In fact, there are days when a blanket of fog envelops the city and its inhabitants, making every step in the streets even more fascinating, if possible! On days when the sun shines and the mountain air is as clean and clear as ever, from any corner of the Balio - the public garden - you can admire glimpses of incredible views. The salt pans of Trapani and Paceco with their rosy colors in summer and shiny steel in winter, the Egadi islands that sometimes seem to float in the sky, amplifying the fairy-tale sensations already suggested by ERICE, the countryside of the Erice area under Monte Cofano , the worn roofs of “ciaramire” among which ancient bell towers stand out. If words really could

enough to make everyone feel the scents and to show the colors of this enchanted place, I would continue to talk about Erice for hours, but believe me, it would be better to drop by! "

I thank Francesca Pacini and Francesca Nera for their contribution and I very much hope to have enticed you to visit Trapani and its surroundings...