Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The entire island was bought by the ornithologist and amateur archaeologist Joseph
Whitaker (1850-1936) in the early 20th century and bequeathed to the Joseph Whitaker
Foundation by his daughter Delia on her death in 1971. Joseph, who was a member of an
English family that gained great wealth from the Marsala trade, built a villa here and spent
decades excavating the island and assembling a unique collection of Phoenician artefacts,
many of which are now on display in the museum that bears his name.
The fields around the museum are strewn with ruins from the ancient Phoenician settle-
ment. Visitors can wander at will around the island to explore these, following a network
of trails punctuated with helpful maps and informational displays. Excavations include the
ancient port and dry dock, where you can see the start of a Phoenician road - now approx-
imately 1m underwater - that once linked San Pantaleo with the mainland. There's also a
bar/cafe serving drinks and snacks.
Whitaker Museum
( 0923 71 25 98; adult/child €9/5; 9.30am-1.30pm & 2.30-6.30pm Mar-Sep)
Housed in Joseph Whi-
taker's former villa on San Pantaleo island, this museum displays the amateur archaeolo-
gist's unique collection of Phoenician artefacts, assembled over decades. The museum's
greatest treasure (on loan to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles at the time of research) is
Il Giovinetto di Mozia,
a marble statue of a young man in a pleated robe suggesting
Carthaginian influences.
MUSEUM
Museo Saline Ettore e Infersa
( 0923 73 30 03;
www.salineettoreinfersa.com
;
Contrada Ettore Infersa 55; adult/student €6/2; 9.30am-sunset
Apr-Oct, by appointment Nov-Mar)
Housed in a beautifully restored old windmill opposite the
Mozia boat dock (on the 'mainland' side of the channel), this small salt museum has dis-
plays about the history of salt production in the area, including a film in multiple lan-
guages. From 4pm to 6pm on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons in summer, you can see
the windmill in action.
Ask at the reception about renting bikes (€10 per half-day) and canoes (€6 per hour,
summer only).
MUSEUM
Getting There & Away
To access Mozia, you'll need to take one of the boats operated by
Mozia Line
( 0923 98 92
49;
www.mozialine.com
)
from the landing point opposite the island. Boats make the short cross-
