Page 529 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

under the archeologist Honor Frost. Originally 35m long, nearly 5m wide and rowed

by 68 oarsmen, the vessel has been the source of much detailed information on the
period, including what the crew ate and the stimulants they chewed to keep awake.
Scattered about lie ranks of amphorae and anchors, and other items found in or around
the ship, plus photographs and explanations (in Italian and English) of the ship’s
retrieval from the sea.

On the left-hand side of the building is displayed a medley of archeological finds
from various sites hereabouts, both on land and sea. Prize exhibit is a marble torso

dredged up from the sea in 2005, the Venus of Lilybaeum: comparable in style to the
more famous Venus Landolina in Siracusa, it’s probably a Roman copy of a
Hellenistic statue of the second century BC. Other items include more mundane
ceramics from the Punic tophet (“sacrificial grounds”) on Motya and other ancient
necropolises in the neighbourhood, a good Roman mosaic and some colourful

examples of Italian and North African pottery.

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION: MARSALA

By train Trains to Marsala, from Trapani in particular, are quicker and more frequent
than buses. The train station is at the southeastern edge of town on Viale A. Fazio, a

15min walk from the centre.

Destinations Castelvetrano (10 daily Mon–Sat, 4 daily Sun; 45min); Mazara del
Vallo (10 daily Mon–Sat, 4 daily Sun; 20min); Palermo (6 daily Mon–Sat, 3 daily
Sun; 3hr 10min; may involve change); Trapani (12 daily Mon–Sat, 5 daily Sun;
30min).

By bus Buses arrive centrally at Piazza del Popolo (also known as Piazza Marconi),
near Porta Garibaldi.

Destinations Agrigento (3 daily Mon–Sat, 1 daily Sun; 2hr 25min–3hr); Campobello
(4 daily Mon–Sat; 55min); Castelvetrano (7 daily Mon–Sat; 1hr 15min); Mazara del
Vallo (1–2 hourly Mon–Sat, 4 daily Sun; 30min); Palermo (1–2 hourly Mon–Sat, 7–9
daily Sun; 2hr 30min); Salemi (2 daily Mon–Sat, 1 daily Sun; 35min); Sciacca (3 daily
Mon–Sat, 1 daily Sun; 1hr–1hr 30min); Trapani (4 daily Mon–Sat; 55min–1hr 15min);

Trapani airport (1–4 daily Mon–Sat, 2 daily Sun; 15min).

By hydrofoil Hydrofoil services to and from the Egadi Islands are operated by Ustica
Lines ( 348 357 9863) at the harbour, a 15min walk from the centre – you can buy
tickets on the dockside. There is year-round service to Favignana (30min) and in
recent years there has also been a summer-only service to Marettimo (1hr 10min–2hr
15min).

Tourist information There’s a tourist office at Via XI Maggio 100, off Piazza della