“Through the centuries, a who’s who of rich and powerful empires have dominated Sicily. The Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards and Italians have all had a hand in shaping the island’s architecture, food, art and culture.
And Trapani, once a wealthy medieval trading center, is the perfect starting point for witnessing it all. The town’s resplendent Santuario Dell’Annunziata, Trapani’s crowning glory, and Museo Pepoli, which houses the private collection of Count Peoli, are two noteworthy gems. Yet the rest of Sicily beckons. Visit the ancient ruins of Selinunte, behold an ancient Punic warship in the Museo Archeologico Baglio Anselmi and enjoy the ancient art of wine tasting. This is just the beginning of a memorable journey.” – Princess Patter
We arrived in Trapani on the Tuesday before Easter. At times it seemed that the whole town was in preparation for holy week. Our first stop was at the Santuario Dell’Annunziata where we viewed the beautiful interior decoration and, of course, Trapani’s crowning glory, the Madonna of Trapani. The story goes that the statue was found in a shipwreck on the coast near Trapani. It was decided that they would keep the statue and build a church to hold it.
Next we toured the Museo Pepoli which houses a vast treasure of paintings, statues, ceramic art, figurines, tile, etc.
Leaving the Museo, we were taken on a walking tour of the old town of Trapani. Our first stop was the Church of Sant’Agostino. Built by the Knights Templar in the 14th century. Also, in the plaza in front of the church is a fountain with a statue of Saturn. Myth has it that the greek god was the protector of Sicily.
Our next stop was the Chiesaa (church) del Purgatoria. Inside is an incredible collection of life-size wooden figures depicting the passion of the Christ and the Crucifixion. Each Easter these figures are paraded around town. When we visited the church, locals were preparing the figures for the annual procession.
