THE ANCIENT LILYBEUM PORT

 As early as the first millennium B.C. the Lilybeum port was the only passage towards Africa.  Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans landed in Marsala.  Julius Caesar was there in 47 B.C. when he took refuge in Lilybeum, a place where legions used to gather. 
Also Pontius Pilatus in 31 B.C. was in Lilybeum  on the occasion of his journey to Palestine. 

In the 14^th and 15^th century it became the centre of many different interests, including Spaniards, the French, Ottomans, and the pirates. 
For this reason, in 1572 Johann of Austria, Emperor Charles V’s son, ordered its closure ...since the enemy could enter Marsala through the many caves present there.. 

 It was the English business man J. Woodhouse in 1816, interested in the high quality of Marsala wine, who had part of the port repaired and a 800-metre long pier built where his ships could take the barrels on board. 
The restoration work was then continued in 1837 thanks to a fund-raising campaign promoted by the Decurions, and continued in 1847 under the Bourbon government.  The port restoration has continued until  today with recent interventions.

On May 11^th, 1860 Garibaldi landed with his 1,000 followers on the Marsala port, right at that pier built by J. Woodhouse.

 THE MARINA

 It has a modern and functional port structure with quays, rings, water and electricity columns, and ladders where up to 250 both residential and guest boats can be anchored.