Multicultural Mazara del Vallo

I’m excited to introduce you to one of my favorite places in Sicily. Mazara del Vallo in Trapani province is a relatively small city. To put its size into perspective, Mazara del Vallo has a population of 51,000, compared to Palermo’s population 676,000. One of the reasons I was so taken with Mazara is because it celebrates both its multicultural past and its diverse present. Prior to the arrival of Spanish rule and the Inquisition, Jews and Muslims formed an integral part of the city’s population. Today, the city is home to a thriving North African Muslim community of approximately 10,000. Given the island’s proximity to the North African coastline (a mere two miles of Mediterranean waters separate the two), it’s not surprising. Most of Mazara’s Muslim residents are Tunisian or Algerian immigrants or are of North African heritage, and all seem to be well integrated into the fabric of Sicilian society. There is still no Jewish community in Mazara, however.

Another reason I found Mazara so attractive is because the city promotes local artists through a vibrant public art program. In fact, the city’s former mayor is responsible for the program that revitalized the previously rundown historic center of the town. Until about 10 years ago, the area was a neglected neighborhood avoided by locals and tourists alike. All of that changed when the mayor, himself an artist, invited other local artists to create ceramic tiles celebrating the peaceful coexistence of people of three different faiths. The pieces they created range in size from small squares to large-scale murals. The art work was placed on the façades of buildings, on walls, and in piazzas, making the area a veritable open-air museum. 

A third reason to love Mazara is its location, on Sicily’s southwestern coast. There’s a long lungomare (the seaside promenade) overlooking an inviting sandy beach and the calm blue waters of the Mediterranean. In addition, the city is Sicily’s main center for commercial fishing so there’s abundant seafood available in the restaurants. Mazara is especially known for its red prawns (what we call shrimp). 

I got my first look at Mazara del Vallo from the windows of our bus.

Our group was based right outside Mazara for a long weekend, Friday evening through Monday morning. Our hotel, the Giardino di Constanza, was actually a 5-star resort property with beautifully landscaped grounds. 

As luxurious as the accommodations were at the resort, I was eager to take a look at the town itself. Mazara’s history goes back to the 9^thcentury BCE, when it was founded by the Phoenicians. It was later ruled by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, etc. The Arabs occupied the city in 827 CE. About 350 years later, they, in turn, were defeated by the Normans. Count Roger I built a castle here in 1072. Today, all that remains of the structure is the so-called Norman Arch, which is set in a public park adjacent to the Piazza Mokarta. The arch serves as the symbol of Mazara del Vallo. 

We walked up a wide flight of stairs, beautifully decorated with colorful handmade tiles, to reach the Piazza Mokarta and begin our exploration of the city. 

We began by gazing at the impressive façade of the Basilica Cathedral with its distinctive green domes (an obvious Arab influence). Dating back to the 11^thcentury, the building was completely remodeled in the Baroque style in the 17^thcentury. Of particular interest is the relief sculpture over the door. It depicts the Norman Count Roger I on horseback trampling a Saracen (Muslim) leader.

The Cathedral is just a few steps from the city’s main square, the Arab-Norman style Piazza della Republica. It’s a particularly lovely spot, framed on one side by an arcade of eleven arches and the Palazzo del Seminario. In the wide-open center of the plaza, an artist was busy working on a temporary sculptural exhibit. 

Also close by, we visited the small Museum of the Dancing Satyr. This museum houses an ancient bronze statue that lay on the ocean floor for about 2000 years until it was discovered by a group of Mazara-based fishermen in the late 1990s. We were able to meet Giuseppe, one of the fishermen who found the leg of the statue, and later the head and torso of the statue, in their fishing net. Some art historians believe the statue was the work of the Greek sculptor Praxiteles although other experts believe it may be from a later period.

Not quite as ancient as the statue was the historic Teatro Garibaldi. This gem of a theater, which seats only 98 people, was designed as a place for popular entertainment when it opened in 1848. The wooden interior was built with the beams of ships that sailors donated. In fact, the ceiling resembles an overturned ship. The theater closed in 1930 but reopened 70 years later with its original décor, including plush red velvet seats. 

Sonia had arranged for a special surprise during our tour of the theater. A dashingly handsome silver-haired local history expert serenaded us with his rendition of the popular Italian tune “Volare” and then led us in a sing-along of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” In case you weren’t aware of it, Frank was of Sicilian ancestry.  

Antonio, the history expert and singer

In my opinion, the most fascinating part of Mazara del Vallo is the Kasbah, which is one of only two casbahs in Europe. The word “casbah” or “Kasbah” literally means fortress. If you want to explore Mazara’s Kasbah, it’s essential to have a local guide. Otherwise, you’ll get lost trying to navigate the narrow streets that twist, turn, and frequently lead to dead ends. Of course, such a design was intentional, as it offers shade, barriers to the wind, and defense from invaders. 

Before we plunged into the heart of the Kasbah, our genial guide Hosni (the Sicilian-born son of Tunisian immigrant parents) pointed out a tiled map of Mazara’s historic center, with its traditional pre-1492 division into 4 quarters. I noticed one section identified as the Giudecca, i.e. the Jewish quarter. This would have been where the Jewish community was concentrated before the Inquisition drove them to conversion or exile. 

It was hard to keep up with Hosni as he walked through the maze of the Kasbah because I kept stopping every few seconds to take photos of the gorgeous ceramic work. Here are just a few samples:

The Kasbah has once again become a center of Muslim life in the city. In fact, about a thousand North African immigrants reside there today. Hosni introduced us to a Tunisian gentleman who has been painstakingly transforming his house over a period of several years into a traditionally decorated Tunisian home, using materials brought back from his native country. As you can see from the photos, the interior was dazzling. 

Aside from the historic center, Mazara has a bright and modern side, which we discovered when we broke into small groups to visit local families for a home-hosted lunch. Along with three fellow travelers, I found myself at the home of Matteo and Tea, a retired couple who made their living from commercial fishing for many years. 

Matteo placed carafes of local rosé wine on the dining room table while Tea emerged from the kitchen with one dish after another. The antipasto course included not only the expected bruschetta and sweet and sour eggplant, but also some less familiar sautéed sardine patties, a dish typical of the seaside town. After taking a taste, I correctly guessed that the recipe contained fennel. Tea told me that the additional ingredients were breadcrumbs, brandy, and fresh herbs (thyme, mint, and basil). 

That was just the beginning of our meal. Next came a bowl of tiny shrimp, served raw. They were sweet, tender, and delicious. The usual home-cured olives appeared, plus a salad of potatoes and green beans dressed with olive oil. The main course was a dish of pasta with swordfish and eggplant. At Tea’s urging, I took multiple servings of everything while still trying to save room for whatever was to follow. Fortunately, the final course was a light macedonia de frutas (cut up peaches and melon) with a scoop of lemon gelato, accompanied by a glass of limoncello. 

While we sipped the inevitable tiny cups of espresso to top off the meal, we watched a locally produced documentary on their television. As Mazara’s only professional female "fisherperson," Tea was the subject of the film. Commercial fishing clearly runs in the family. Before we departed, Matteo proudly showed us an amberjack that their son had caught the previous day. 

With Tea and Matteo in their home

After such a hearty midday meal, food wasn’t on my mind for quite a while. However, I was eager to participate in Saturday night’s activity. We were going back into town for a cooking lesson at a popular osteria (a simple restaurant serving local specialties). We broke up into four teams, each assigned to prepare a different part of the dinner we would later eat. Under the direction of Chef Angela (a Brit married to a Sicilian) and the osteria’s staff, one team prepared bruschetta with three different toppings, another made veal Marsala (Marsala is a local wine), a third team (mine) worked on savory pumpkin tarts, and the final team assembled the dessert, individual tiramisu. When the cooking was finished, we sat down at a long communal table and feasted on our creations. 

The osteria's kitchen with wood-burning pizza oven

Fellow traveler Jerry, a member of the bruschetta team 

The best tiramisu I've ever had!

When we could eat no more, we set off for a digestive walk back through town. The area that had been very quiet during our daytime walking tour had suddenly come to life. Colored lights lit up the streets and piazzas. Music wafted through the air. The doors of restaurants and shops were open, welcoming people of all ages who were out enjoying the perfect evening weather. Sonia told us that it was normal for the local people to dine late and stay out until 3 or 4am on the weekend.  

The following night, a Sunday, was our final night in Mazara. Much to my surprise, the center of town was jam-packed once again as we made our way through the Piazza della Republica to Café Garibaldi, a delightful restaurant run by a charming mother-daughter team. 

Our dinner included several fresh vegetable creations, such as a broccoli frittata, green beans in a sauce of fresh herbs, and zucchini garnished with tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, and Parmesan cheese. The main course was fresh sea bream hiding under a tent of roasted potato slices. 

By this point in the trip, I'd had enough practice to feel comfortable lifting my glass of wine (Nero d’Avola) and leading our group in the Sicilian toast Sonia had taught us. 

We walked out into the night where the crowds still thronged the streets and piazzas. When we reached the lungomare, we stood listening to the soft swoosh of the waves while we waited for our bus to pick us up and return us to the Giardino di Constanza. 

Mazara del Vallo is a place where I’d love to spend more time. If I ever return, I would definitely stay right in town, perhaps at one of the hotels facing the sea. I’d stroll the lungomare at sunrise, breathe in the salt air, and listen to the gulls. Then I’d sip cappuccino in the Piazza della Republica before wandering into the Kasbah to gaze once again at the wealth of the city’s multicultural riches. And I’d end the day sitting beside the Norman Arch and eating gelato in the moonlight. Buona notte.