City walls and Tramontana beaches

City walls and “Tramontana” beaches

Trapani is one of those cities where you can bathe already just off its ancient walls.
Starting with the flat rocks of the isthmus of Torre di Ligny, where in ancient times the famous “Petra Palazzo” was quarried, there are many places where you can bathe, such as the small beaches near the walls of Tramontana, where the characteristic “Porta Ossuna” opens, or continuing towards those near the urban area up to the slopes of Erice, where there are also many beach resorts.

Near the former fish market and under a short section of the ancient city rampart called mura di Tramontana (Northern City Walls), the sea gently laps the shore, forming enchanting beaches of golden sand which in summer are a favorite destination for tourists and bathers due to the calm and pristine waters.

Of the old walls, originally built in the late 13th century by King James of Aragon, then reinforced and enlarged by the Emperor Charles V, only a short part remains which from the ‘Piazza del mercato del pesce’ reaches the Conca bastion, now used as a promenade, allowing you to enjoy one of the most fascinating views of the city.

The rest of the wall was torn down after the unification of Italy when the city in 1862 lost the title of Piazza d’armi (Parade Ground). Traces of the wall can also be found here and there- in the bastions; ‘Impossibile’, ‘Conca’ and ‘Imperiale’ as well as in the ‘Botteghelle’ gateway.