Sicily's western edge — Europe's oldest salt pans still harvested by windmill, couscous that came from Arab North Africa and never left, and Erice's medieval town perched in cloud above the sea
Trapani (pop. 65,000) occupies a narrow spit of land on Sicily's western tip, facing Tunisia rather than mainland Italy — a geographic orientation that explains the city's distinct Arab-Norman cultural flavor. The Saline di Trapani salt pans between Trapani and Marsala have been harvested continuously for over 2,000 years, still using the Arab-era windmill system to move brine between evaporation pools; at sunset the shallow water reflects pink and amber through the rising salt crystals in one of the Mediterranean's most ethereal landscapes. Trapani's cuisine is dominated by couscous — brough…
Trapani was founded as 'Drepanon' (sickle) by the Elymian people around the 8th century BCE — the sickle-shaped promontory gave it its Greek and later name. It served as the main port for the important Elymian sanctuary city of Eryx (the modern Erice on the mountain above). The First Punic War's decisive naval battle was fought offshore in 241 BCE — Rome defeated Carthage at the Battle of the Egadi Islands, ending the war. Arab rule from 827 to 1072 CE was the most transformative period: the Arabs introduced couscous, date palms, sugarcane, and the windmill-based salt harvesting system that s…