A couple of days in Marsala

Cantine Florio Marsala

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Marsala Wine Tasting at Florio"

Florio Marsala Wine Cellars Photo - Cantine Florio Marsala, Marsala, Sicily

Quote:

While I might prefer Marsala to be famous for its Chicken Tikka, the town actually produces Marsala Wine, prime ingredient in that sticky tooth rotting confection, Tiramisu. It's a tricky job, but someone just had to go and visit a Marsala wine producer to get the lowdown.We visited one of the biggest, the Florio producers, now owned by the folks that also make Amaretto, after being owned by Cinsano since the early 1900’s. For English language tours you must book ahead as there aren't a huge number of English language tourists in Marsala (particularly in December) and they don't go ahead automatically. As it happened, there were just us two on our tour. The original owner (the...Read More

While I might prefer Marsala to be famous for its Chicken Tikka, the town actually produces Marsala Wine, prime ingredient in that sticky tooth rotting confection, Tiramisu. It's a tricky job, but someone just had to go and visit a Marsala wine producer to get the lowdown.

We visited one of the biggest, the Florio producers, now owned by the folks that also make Amaretto, after being owned by Cinsano since the early 1900’s. For English language tours you must book ahead as there aren't a huge number of English language tourists in Marsala (particularly in December) and they don't go ahead automatically. As it happened, there were just us two on our tour.

The original owner (the Florio family) had seen a couple of British producers make their fortune from exporting fortified wine into the UK, and set up Florio. Unfortunately, the third generation of the family were far more interested in "la belle epoch" rather than business, and to avoid bankruptcy sold their whole stake in their various businesses.

Today the factory occupies a lovely huge warehouse where the wine is blended and aged in huge oak barrels. Our host was very knowledgeable about the history of the factory and the various blends of Marsala available today. The barrels are usually stored at least 4 years for good Marsala, and the sheds are located faced towards the coast, so as to get the breezes oxidising the wines inside the barrels.

Our tour guide mentioned that Garibaldi visited a couple of years after unifying Sicily with Italy in 1860; they were so enamoured and very proud his favourite brand of Marsala was one of theirs (strangely the sweetest). I also spotted a plaque to Mussolini and our guide also confirmed old il duce had visited the factory twice. They didn't tell me which Marsala he preferred.

The factory was very badly bombed in 1943, and almost all the Marsala stored at the time was lost (as well as all but one of the storage sheds), but a couple of war era barrels remain – bottles come in at over 2000 Euros each these days.

For our 7 Euros for the tour, we were rewarded for our patience and showing interest in the tour; a sample offering two quite hefty slugs of Marsala – the fairly good quality pre dinner and dryer wine, the amusingly called "Terra Arse", and another more familiar after dinner sweeter variety. Likewise there were some good retro bottles of Marsala with some great looking 1920’s Italian Illustrations etched onto the bottle – at less than 20 Euros a pop, you got some reasonable wine and a nice looking present to take home.

Finally, the view back to the sea from the estate gates is worth a photo or two; the overall tour offers a good explanation of the Marsala trade and is one of the must-do Marsala experiences.
Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 17, 2011

Cantine Florio Marsala
Via Vincenzo Florio, I
Marsala, Trapani, Sicily
+39 0923 781 111

Cheer!
Flag

Hotel Acos Marsala

Best Of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Hotel Acos Marsala City - the world's friendliest hotel! "

Funky outside seating at Hotel Acos Marsala City Photo - Hotel Acos Marsala, Marsala, Sicily

Quote:

I've heard other people describe such places, but have never personally quite believed such a thing existed until now. However, I don't think I've ever stayed in quite such a friendly or helpful hotel as the Acos Marsala City. Entrance to the hotel set the scene as about three reception staff rushed to greet us and welcome us to Marsala. A map was produced and the folks excitedly proceeded to tell us about what to see and what to enjoy.After an unproductive hunt for lunch (Marsala pretty much closes Monday lunchtime in winter), we arrived back and on asking if food might be available, they proceeded to open up the kitchen and bar for us, and cooked us burger and chips with a nice sid...Read More

I've heard other people describe such places, but have never personally quite believed such a thing existed until now. However, I don't think I've ever stayed in quite such a friendly or helpful hotel as the Acos Marsala City.

Entrance to the hotel set the scene as about three reception staff rushed to greet us and welcome us to Marsala. A map was produced and the folks excitedly proceeded to tell us about what to see and what to enjoy.
After an unproductive hunt for lunch (Marsala pretty much closes Monday lunchtime in winter), we arrived back and on asking if food might be available, they proceeded to open up the kitchen and bar for us, and cooked us burger and chips with a nice side salad. We can recommend the food. At the bar later, we also had a huge plate of nibbles, lovely cheese drizzled in honey, peanuts, olives and a huge pile of chopped salami to accompany our reasonably priced beers (3 Euros for a mid size bottle of Italian, or 6 for a 660 ml bottle of becks)

Later, on asking if we could visit a Marsala winery, the receptionist rang up the wine lodge, and on discovering we needed to get there in 5 minutes for the English language tour, insisted on driving us there the short distance in her car – that's what I call service!

The hotel itself is a little away from the old town (it's about a mile walk, although there are quite a few shop windows en route) and the biggest attractions, although it is perfectly walkable. On the bright side, the hotel is very close to a couple of wine lodges, and also pretty close to the train station and bus stop, which was handy for us reliant on public transport (and as I didn't spot any taxis at the train station, so we were on shank's pony).

The hotel location didn't initially exactly wow us immediately as it is located right between a petrol station to the front and a Marsala wine factory to the rear, with just a peep view of the sea beyond. However, they make the most of the space they have with a nice looking swimming pool to the back (far too cold in December!) and some illuminated sofas and Astroturf to the front, where one can sit and watch people filling up their cars with petrol, with a drink in hand.

Our room was very bright and cheerful in yellow, and green furnishings and very modern. The bed was particularly comfortable and we had a good night's sleep after our trail around town all day – likewise the bathroom was good with a nice modern shower, and rather strange fixed hairdryer hose protruding from the wall.

Breakfast is included, although it isn't particularly wonderful – the croissants are nice and fresh, although I'm not sure how they might expect one to eat cereal without milk! Fresh fruit should also be easy to provide in Italy, so I was disappointed not to have my daily orange while at the Acos!

Overall, the Acos Marsala City is a very good hotel in a reasonable location, and with exceptional service.
Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 17, 2011

Hotel Acos Marsala
Via Mazara, 14
Marsala, Trapani, Sicily

Cheer!
Flag

Sapori di Sole

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Nice mid range Marsala Restaurant "

Sapori de Sole Restaurant in Marsala Photo - Sapori di Sole, Marsala, Sicily

Quote:

Fancying a bit of a splurge, we decided to make the most of Marsala's proximity to the sea and enjoy some fish at the Sapori de Sole Restaurant at Via Caturca 6 in Marsala – just down a little side street from the main drag. To be honest as we only chose a main course for lunch (which actually kept us going all day), the 50 Euro bill for two wasn't too scary in the end. The restaurant is rather nicely furnished with good attention to detail, with all the tables nicely laid out in symmetry. We decided just to have a dish from the second part of the menu (he main meal or "secondi"), and given that these meals usually come with limited amounts of greenery also ordered a side salad each. ...Read More

Fancying a bit of a splurge, we decided to make the most of Marsala's proximity to the sea and enjoy some fish at the Sapori de Sole Restaurant at Via Caturca 6 in Marsala – just down a little side street from the main drag. To be honest as we only chose a main course for lunch (which actually kept us going all day), the 50 Euro bill for two wasn't too scary in the end.

The restaurant is rather nicely furnished with good attention to detail, with all the tables nicely laid out in symmetry. We decided just to have a dish from the second part of the menu (he main meal or "secondi"), and given that these meals usually come with limited amounts of greenery also ordered a side salad each.

The meal came to around 15 Euros each with a very nice quality bottle of wine adding a further 16 Euros to the bill. We particularly enjoy the local red grape variety Nero D’Avola which is a very strong and strong tasting wine, but not particularly heavy or cloying. You certainly get a lot of taste for your buck.

For my main course I chose swordfish rolls, feeling confident that my dish wouldn't be a swordfish steak tucked into a burger bun! Fortunately I was right; the swordfish was served on a bed of lettuce, and was rolled in a leaf and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar– very simple but it brought out the taste of the sword fish, and a meal I enjoyed immensely. My meal was served with some nice crusty bread which complemented the meal nicely.

I also ordered Sicilian salad which was cold cooked vegetables and fresh tomato and lettuce. I would have found the main dish a little small without the accompaniment, but it was perfect with it.

My beloved was also on a swordfish kick and had hers served steak style and with a juicy fresh tomato sauce and plain green salad. I found the tomato (Sicilian style again, to be technical to the menu) a little out of balance with the fish. However, the sauce was nice; the fish was nice so there was little to go wrong.

Our service was quick and effective, although there was something of a language barrier between us. Overall, while the restaurant lacked a little atmosphere, we had a great meal and a place certainly to be recommended.
Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 16, 2011

Sapori di Sole
Caturca 6
Marsala, Trapani, Sicily 91025
+390923762415

Cheer!
Flag

Archaeological Museum Baglio Anselmi Marsala

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "View a Punic Warship at Marsala Archaelogical Museum"

The Regional Archaeological Museum Baglio Anselmi Photo - Archaeological Museum Baglio Anselmi Marsala, Marsala, Sicily

Quote:

One of the main things "to see" at the town of Marsala is the remains of the local Punic war ship dating from around 2300 years ago. I'm not massively into instruments of war, but considering we had to do something that didn't involve too much time or alcohol, chose to look at the local archaeological museum. For those not into their history, the Punics were a Mediterranean people based largely along the North African coast with their capital of Carthage (in modern day Tunisia). Hannibal and his elephants were Punic. The people were beaten and subsumed into Roman culture.I must confess I was impressed with the scale of the ship. It was discovered around 40 years ago, and excite...Read More

One of the main things "to see" at the town of Marsala is the remains of the local Punic war ship dating from around 2300 years ago. I'm not massively into instruments of war, but considering we had to do something that didn't involve too much time or alcohol, chose to look at the local archaeological museum.

For those not into their history, the Punics were a Mediterranean people based largely along the North African coast with their capital of Carthage (in modern day Tunisia). Hannibal and his elephants were Punic. The people were beaten and subsumed into Roman culture.

I must confess I was impressed with the scale of the ship. It was discovered around 40 years ago, and excited folk, as it showed how these types of ships were built almost "off the production line" as the building instructions were still clear to see marked on the timber under water.

I was impressed at how much had been recovered from a wooden ship underwater for over 2000 years. OK, it's ultimately a lot of plans of wood and some rusted nails, but the shape of the boat and the sheer scale is very visible. Around one third of the ship is vaguely reconstructed, and as the venue appears to be a former Marsala wine lodge (a large stone barn like structure), there is plenty of space with which to imagine the remainder. Also the diagrams around the wall show the double decker effect of the ship with 68 oarsman (17 lines of 4 – 2 men to each oar), and then a line of fighters atop.

Some of the personal effects of the oarsmen are also on view, including (for some strange reason in Perspex), a display of a stash of grass presumably used by the men to while away the boredom of rowing. There is also a vast number of storage jars all different shapes and sizes and covered in old barnacle shells, indicating the pots were lost at sea. Although the signage is largely in Italian, there is enough in English to get the gist. I did pick up that not all the pots came from the one Punic vessel (and if they did, then I have a good idea why that boat sank!).

I was particularly fascinated by the discovery that the local Church has a hidden grotto underneath; allegedly the home to the spirit of Sicily. This is a little cave with pools of spring water, and brightly red coloured "cave paintings". I would have been most excited to take a look at the little grotto, but it appears to be by appointment and on Saturday mornings only. I always like to say I'm saving something for my next trip; and this is it.
The other half of the museum has an interesting if a little sterile display of the finds from the local archaeological site abutting the museum. This is a large area, and finds are displayed in age order, including relocated Roman floors, gravestones and older funerary bowls.

Also a little disappointing is the fact that this site of the old town, dating from the Punic through Greek, Roman and beyond is generally out of bounds to visitors. It would be great to walk through the site, but unfortunately the other half of the museum display simply shows the finds out of situ. It seems a lost opportunity for Marsala.

Another lost opportunity is the spit just beyond the museum – it kind of enticed us on the map, a little sandy spit stretching out its extended hand to the islands just off shore. In reality, the site is an unofficial tip site full of household junk abandoned by the (what I can only call as I experience) the dirty people of Italy.

To sum up, I was impressed with the remains of the boat, but much more could be made of the whole site – it could be a real draw for the town. Sadly visitors are not allowed to take photos inside, but I have included some of the area outside.
Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on December 13, 2011

Archaeological Museum Baglio Anselmi Marsala

Marsala, Italy
(+39) 923 952535

Cheer!
Flag

La Sirena Ubriaca

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Top Class Experience at Marsala's La Sirena Ubriaca"

Marsala wine at La Sirena Ubriaca, Marsala Photo - La Sirena Ubriaca, Marsala, Sicily

Quote:

In a town not terribly well endowed with wine bars, the owners of La Sirena Ubriaca (English: The Drunken Mermaid), might be expected to take a back seat and just watch the punters roll in. To the contrary, we found Angela to be exceptionally hard working and keen to ensure her guests had a good time while sampling her wines. The experience isn't bad value, but I guess might feel a little scary if you are on a fixed budget – Angela asks what kind of wine you want to sample, and then appears with something you might like. If you do, you get a glass full (which you pay for), along with some lovely local sauces spread onto small pieces of bread to accompany your choice. Given tha...Read More

In a town not terribly well endowed with wine bars, the owners of La Sirena Ubriaca (English: The Drunken Mermaid), might be expected to take a back seat and just watch the punters roll in.

To the contrary, we found Angela to be exceptionally hard working and keen to ensure her guests had a good time while sampling her wines. The experience isn't bad value, but I guess might feel a little scary if you are on a fixed budget – Angela asks what kind of wine you want to sample, and then appears with something you might like. If you do, you get a glass full (which you pay for), along with some lovely local sauces spread onto small pieces of bread to accompany your choice.

Given that some of the wines offered aren't young or cheap wines, it might feel likely that in Angela's hands she might choose a really expensive wine and charge the earth for the experience. As it happens, the three lovely local red wines we sampled and chose a full glass of, came in at 15 Euros per person, with enough bread nibbles to make dinner surplus to requirements (we had eaten a heavy lunch a few hours earlier in any case). I'm sure if you asked you could get a running tally of your bill if you so wished.

Until you get into the groove, Angela might come across a little forcefully, but as soon as we realised we were safe in her hands, we could relax and enjoy chatting about her former life in Preston (of all places!). It turned out she was keen to re-practice her English, which was good in any case, and we had a nice time.

Meanwhile, a friend or her partner was hosting what appeared to be a private Marsala wine tasting in the corner of the room with some of his mates, and a couple of other locals and tourists also came by to sample both the wines and the nibbles as we lingered. All were friendly and we passed a few friendly words with the other guests.

Given what we paid, I doubt the La Sirena Ubriaca makes Angela a fortune and she worked so hard chatting with her customers all evening to make sure they had a good time – much kudos to you girl!

The wines and Marsalas are quite special and difficult for visitors to source as they come from small and local wineries, meaning you get something a little special here, and certainly not wines that you can easily buy at home.

The bar is very small – about a dozen visitors and the place is full, and has something of a new age vibe, complete with a fully operational bike, strung her with lights, hanging from the ceiling. Angela turned it on to show us, but explained that unfortunately it turned out too glaring to be able to have switched on all time.
As well as sample glasses of wine and Marsala on the premises, it is possible to either take away bottles or even to arrange European export if you wish. Overall, we had great fun in Angela's company, and enjoyed just flowing with it, and allowing Angela's good taste to guide our next drink.
Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 13, 2011

La Sirena Ubriaca
Via Garibaldi #39,
Marsala, Italy 91025
39.338.33.69.257

Cheer!
Flag

Marsala

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:

Marsala on the west coast of Sicily is one of those Italian cities where strolling round the place is an attraction in itself. Like the capital Palermo, Marsala has an old city heart, and is then surrounded by a "belle époque" era more modern part (perhaps dating largely from the late 1800’s). As we were visiting in December and had no intention of driving in Italy, we stuck pretty much to the town itself. There is however some great day trips from Marsala in summer, including the Greek and Roman remains at Syracuse and to take a boat trip to visit one of the islands off-shore. For me the most interesting life is always in the old city, although in Marsala there is plenty of ...Read More

Marsala on the west coast of Sicily is one of those Italian cities where strolling round the place is an attraction in itself. Like the capital Palermo, Marsala has an old city heart, and is then surrounded by a "belle époque" era more modern part (perhaps dating largely from the late 1800’s).

As we were visiting in December and had no intention of driving in Italy, we stuck pretty much to the town itself. There is however some great day trips from Marsala in summer, including the Greek and Roman remains at Syracuse and to take a boat trip to visit one of the islands off-shore.

For me the most interesting life is always in the old city, although in Marsala there is plenty of good shopping to be had in the more modern part of town. Prices tend to be a little cheaper in Marsala, although there is also less choice or really high fashion. That said, there are often few bargains to be had in Italy – I always think of the country as an expensive one (and with prices generally higher than the UK).

The best part of the Marsala shopping experience comes with shoes and clothes, although strangely the prices of clothes seems quite random – there are shops selling nice things at fairly modest prices, whereas similar looking items in other shops are perhaps double or treble. These places seem to be laughing in the face of recession!

We struggled to find many independent artisan shops in the town; perhaps because it isn't particularly touristy. One of the main draws for shopping is to grab a bottle of the famous Marsala wine, and there are a couple of wine shops dotted about.

The city itself has lots of nice fin de siècle pastel coloured buildings, doorways and archways. While there isn't anything wildly of note about Marsala, it is a pleasant place to wander round and snap photos. The two ancient (but reconstructed) gateways into the city are also worth lingering over.

Unusually for Italy, there aren't a huge number of restaurants around in Marsala, and squares where you might expect a number of different coloured regiments of tables and chairs from competing establishments are simply left to the pigeons.

A large area of the city is left protected as an archaeological site; unfortunately it seems to me that more could be made of the site, as I understand pre booked escorted tours are the only way to gain access to it. Rather than have a proper route through with display boards, instead it sits likes an abandoned building site cutting off the town from the sea. As a result, the views of the sea appear to be underutilized; an impression reinforced as the busy main road cuts off the town from the coast. The few houses I spotted near the coast seem to have their back to it facing in towards the town.

Likewise, the most obvious place for a little nature reserve and walk, a short spit reaching out to good views of the islands off the coast away from the archaeology museum appears to be used as an unofficial rubbish tip.

While Marsala is still well worth a visit, it seems it could make far more of its charms.

I won’t describe Marsala as a great hidden tourist destination, but it offers a good contrast to Palmero as it is certainly quieter, prettier and more upmarket to its capital city. The trip to Marsala from Palermo takes about 2 and a half easy hours on the bus (just catch it from the main bus station next to the railway station in Palermo) and costs 8.40 Euro each way.
Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 12, 2011

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Marsala Journals

Upload Photos