Detached house facing the sea

Mazara del Vallo: Location and surroundings of this property

Mazara del Vallo is a pretty municipality in the province of Trapani, crossed by the Mazaro and Arena rivers. Due to its strategic position, it was contested since antiquity by Greeks, Elymians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans. Dominated by the Arabs from 827 and conquered by the Normans from 1072, it presents the typical features of both dominations. The typical Islamic urban layout of the medinas, called the Casbah, is characterised by narrow streets, alleys and courtyards. Under Norman rule, the city was then surrounded by mighty walls and provided with a castle. Count Roger of Altavilla made it his favourite place to stay and in 1093 founded the vast bishopric there, built the cathedral dedicated to the Holy Saviour and in 1097 convened the first Sicilian Parliament in Mazara. The city overlooks the Strait of Sicily, and the climate is characterised by a continuous orographic breeze with a wind that punctually rises at 11 a.m. and dies down around 7 p.m. This makes Mazara del Vallo an ideal site for all sailing sports; in fact, the locality is a destination for kite and windsurf enthusiasts from all over the world. Absolutely not to be missed is a visit to the museum of the Dancing Satyr, a bronze statue attributed to the Greek sculptor Praxiteles, which came to light at dawn on 4 March 1998 when Captain Ciccio found it entangled in the nets during a fishing trip.