Extreme point to the west, Marsala owes much of its history precisely to its location.

Origins – The history of Marsala begins on a small island not far from the coast, well protected within the lagoon of the Stagnone: Mothia.
At the time when the ships of the Carthaginians were crossing the Mediterranean Sea to bring their products from one end to the other, the island of Mothia, in the middle of this sea, represented an excellent commercial hub.

The more Carthaginian power grew, the more important Mothia became. But the more Carthaginian power grew, the more it clashed with the other great masters of Sicily: the Greeks and the lords of eastern Sicily, Magna Graecia.

Thus in 397 BC. Dionysius the Elder, tyrant of Syracuse, attacked and destroyed the island of Mothia. Its inhabitants took refuge on the coast, on that promontory that stood in front of their island. There Lilybeo was born.

The Romans-The city remained Carthaginian until the first Punic War, which the Carthaginians and Romans fought in this very area of the Mediterranean. Lilybeo was then a very important city because. well fortified and surrounded by a sea with very difficult seabed for those unfamiliar with it. The Romans had to besiege it for ten years before they succeeded in conquering it. It was part of the Roman Empire until its end.

Arabs-After a difficult period of vandal looting, the city experienced a phase of great splendor when the Arabs arrived in Sicily. A people of great intelligence, they knew how to resurrect the city with the new name of Marsa Ali(Port of Ali) or Marsa Allah(Port of Allah), in honor of its important port. Numerous palaces and mosques arose and were unfortunately later lost. However, the Arab presence is clearly visible in names, culinary traditions, urban layout and some architectural elements.

All the peoples who dominated Sicily then passed through Marsala: Swabians, Normans, Angevins and Aragons. Spanish rule was very long and led to a slow decline.

Garibaldi and the Thousand – The Bourbon kingdom did not collapse until May 11, 1860, when Garibaldi landed at Marsala with his Thousand Men to liberate southern Italy and deliver it to Victor Emmanuel.

Gold Medal for Civil Valor – During World War II, onMay 11, 1943, Marsala was hit by heavy bombing that destroyed many buildings and caused hundreds of deaths. The city was awarded the Gold Medal for Civil Valor.