Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In early 2013 the museum was expanded to include the adjacent
Insula Romana
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
, an archaeological site that encompasses the remains of a 3rd-
century Roman villa and a splendidly preserved
Decumanus Maximus
(Roman ceremonial
road) paved with giant stones.
THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
Fresh out of sherry country in southern Spain, John Woodhouse's 'sweet nose' knew a business opportunity when
he smelled it. The English soap merchant swiftly based himself in Marsala aiming to market its wine to the seem-
ingly insatiable sweet palate of 18th-century England, but had to grapple with one problem: how was he to get the
wine to England without it going bad? He added a dash of pure alcohol and,
voilà,
Marsala's fortified wine was
born.
The real success of the wine came when the British Navy used it as an alternative to port in order to supply the
sailors' ration of one glass of wine per day. Lord Nelson placed a huge order in 1800, and soon other entrepren-
eurs wanted to get in on the action. Benjamin Ingham and his nephew, Joseph Whitaker, set up the first rival
winery, exporting to the USA and Australia in 1806. The third big producer was canny Vincenzo Florio, who
already owned the Egadi Islands and their lucrative tuna plants. All of the wineries were eventually bought by
Cinzano in the 1920s, which merged them under the Florio label. In 1988, Cinzano sold the company to Illva
Saronno, which now operates three labels: Florio, Duca di Salaparuta and Corvo.
For more information on Marsala and the companies that produce it today, see
www.stradavinomarsala.it
.
Cantine Florio
(
WINERY
0923 78 11 11;
www.duca.it/cantineflorio
; Via Vincenzo Florio 1; tours €10;
wine shop 9am-1pm &
3.30-6pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-1pm Sat, English-language tours 3.30pm Mon-Fri & 10.30am Sat year-round, plus 11am
Mon-Fri Apr-Oct)
These venerable wine cellars just east of town open their doors to visitors to
explain the Marsala-making process and the fascinating history of local viticulture. After-
wards visitors can sample the goods in Florio's spiffy new tasting room (tastes of two
Marsalas and a moscato, accompanied by hors d'oeuvres, are included in the tour price).
Take bus 16 from Piazza del Popolo.
Other producers in the same area include Pellegrino, Donnafugata, Rallo, Mavis and In-
torcia.
Complesso Monumentale
San Pietro
MUSEUM
( 0923 71 87 41; Via Ludovico Anselmi Correale; 9am-1pm & 4-8pm Tue-Sun)
Housed in a
beautifully restored 15th-century convent, this arts centre is home to an intriguing com-
plex of small museums. Most noteworthy is the upstairs space devoted to Giuseppe
