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Castellammare del Golfo

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Overview

Castellammare del Golfo (Italian: [kaˌstɛllamˈmaːre del ˈɡolfo]; Sicilian: Casteḍḍammari [kaˌstɛɖɖamˈmaːɾɪ]; Latin: Emporium Segestanorum or Emporium Aegestensium) is a town and municipality in the Trapani Province of Sicily. The name can be translated as "Sea Fortress on the Gulf", stemming from the medieval fortress in the harbor. The nearby body of water conversely takes its name from the town, and is known as Gulf of Castellammare.

Heading upwards from its marina/harbour called "Cala Marina", with many restaurants and bars, the urban plan is made of steps and winding streets that lead to Piazza Petrolo in one direction or towards the main central gardens, where the town center lies with many shops, cafes and restaurants. The main street is called Corso Garibaldi.

Facts

Rank

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Coordinates

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Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage Wikipedia

Media

From Wikipedia991 words

WBP editorial3

A coastal base for Sicilian trekking

Beyond its pretty harbour, Castellammare del GolFio serves as an ideal launch point for exploring the Madonie foothills. Day‑long hikes begin at the town’s edge, winding through olive groves and limestone cliffs that drop into crystalline coves. The trail to the medieval Montagna di Porticello, for instance, offers panoramic vistas of the Gulf and a chance to spot the occasional peregrine falcon. Pack light, bring sturdy boots and a water bottle; the routes are unmarked but well‑known to locals who will point you to the stone steps that lead inland. Returning to town for a cool glass of almond‑scented water at a seaside bar feels like a reward after several kilometres of ascent.

Seasonal rhythms of the fish market

If you time your visit for late spring or early autumn, the town’s modest fish market reveals a rhythm that tourists rarely witness. Early morning, vendors unload daily catches—sardines, swordfish, and the region’s prized alici—directly onto wooden stalls. Watching the barter, you’ll notice how the price of alici spikes just after the local feast of Saint Joseph, reflecting the community’s reliance on these tiny anchovies for traditional pastries. Joining a local family for a quick lunch at a nearby trattoria lets you taste the fresh fish prepared simply with lemon and a drizzle of local olive oil, offering insight into the culinary calendar that shapes daily life.

Comparative glimpse: Castellammare vs. Taormina’s tourist flow

While Taormina swells with day‑trippers and cruise‑ship crowds, Castellammare del Golfo maintains a steadier, more locally‑oriented pace. The contrast is evident in the street‑level ambience: in Castellammare, cafés fill gradually, patrons linger over espresso, and the promenade remains spacious enough for a leisurely stroll without dodging selfie‑sticks. This steadier flow translates into more reliable public transport connections to neighbouring villages, such as the scenic bus route to Scopello, where the iconic Faraglioni rock formations loom. For travellers seeking a coastal Sicilian experience without the overt commercial push, Castellammare offers a measured alternative that still grants access to the island’s celebrated scenery.

Introduction

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Italian.  (January 2022) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must follow the LLM translation guideline, revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Italian Wikipedia article at [[:it:Castellammare del Golfo]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template {{Translated|it|Castellammare del Golfo}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation. Comune in Sicily, ItalyCastellammare del Golfo Casteḍḍammari (Sicilian)ComuneComune di Castellammare del Golfo Coat of armsCastellammare del GolfoLocation of Castellammare del Golfo in ItalyShow map of ItalyCastellammare del GolfoCastellammare del Golfo (Sicily)Show map of SicilyCoordinates: 38°01′35″N 12°52′50″E / 38.02639°N 12.88056°E / 38.02639; 12.88056CountryItalyRegionSicilyProvinceTrapani (TP)FrazioniBalata di Baida, Scopello, Guidaloca, Fraginesi, Lu BaruniGovernment • MayorGiuseppe FaustoArea • Total127.32 km2 (49.16 sq mi)Elevation26 m (85 ft)Population (28 February 2017) • Total15,293 • Density120.11/km2 (311.10/sq mi)DemonymCastellammareseTime zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal code91014Balata di Baida: 91010Dialing code0924Patron saintMaria SS. del SoccorsoSaint dayAugust 21WebsiteOfficial website Castellammare del Golfo (Italian: [kaˌstɛllamˈmaːre del ˈɡolfo]; Sicilian: Casteḍḍammari [kaˌstɛɖɖamˈmaːɾɪ]; Latin: Emporium Segestanorum or Emporium Aegestensium) is a town and municipality in the Trapani Province of Sicily. The name can be translated as "Sea Fortress on the Gulf", stemming from the medieval fortress in the harbor. The nearby body of water conversely takes its name from the town, and is known as Gulf of Castellammare. Heading upwards from its marina/harbour called "Cala Marina", with many restaurants and bars, the urban plan is made of steps and winding streets that lead to Piazza Petrolo in one direction or towards the main central gardens, where the town center lies with many shops, cafes and restaurants. The main street is called Corso Garibaldi.

History

[edit] According to historians and geographers such as Ptolemy, Diodorus Siculus and Strabo, Castellammare del Golfo was born as Emporium Segestanorum, port of Segesta, a nearby city which shared the same ordeals until its fall. The Arabs invaded Castellammare del Golfo from 827 AD and called it "Al Madarig", meaning "The Steps", probably because of a steep street leading up from the harbour to the area of the fortified bastion. After the Arabs first built the castle fortress, it was later enlarged by the Normans. The building stood on a rocky outcrop near the sea, linked to the mainland by a wooden drawbridge. Fishing has been important in Castellammare del Golfo since ancient times. The modern town's economy continues to be based on fishing with the addition of tourism. The small town is noted for being the birthplace of many Sicilian-American Mafia figures, including Sebastiano DiGaetano, Salvatore Maranzano, Stefano Magaddino, Vito Bonventre, John Tartamella, and Joseph Bonanno. This is the origin of the Castellamarese war, fought by the Masseria clan against the Maranzano clan for control of the Underworld in New York City. During the height of Italian immigration to the United States, many residents from Castellammare del Golfo immigrated to New York City and settled on Elizabeth Street in Little Italy, Italian Harlem, and the Bushwick, Carroll Gardens and East New York neighborhoods of Brooklyn. After World War II, many residents from Castellammare del Golfo continued to relocate to New York City, this time, settling in the Gravesend, Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn, as well as the Ridgewood and Middle Village neighborhoods of Queens, the Morris Park section of the Bronx, and throughout the borough of Staten Island. New York City is home to the largest diaspora of people either born in or able to trace their lineage back to Castellammare del Golfo.[citation needed] In the past decades, Castellammare del Golfo has become an important tourist location as it is conveniently situated between Palermo and Trapani.

Nearby places

[edit] Nearby places include Segesta, with its Doric temple and an amphitheater where performances are still held. Trapani about 35 km to the west; Palermo about 30 km to the east; Scopello with its tonnara (traditional tuna fishing ground) to the west; San Vito Lo Capo to the west; Riserva naturale dello Zingaro also to the west, with its bay beaches only accessible on foot or boat; Erice, a historic village, located 750 metres (2,460 ft) above sea level. From Castellammare del Golfo you can take a boat trip departing from Cala Marina to the Egadi Islands situated in front of Trapani. To the east, the gulf of Castellammare has a stretch of 30 kilometres (19 mi) of white sandy beaches.

People

[edit] Joseph Bonanno, crime boss, historical leader of the Bonanno crime family Giovanni Bonventre, underboss of the Bonanno crime family Vito Bonventre, mobster who was a leading member of the Brooklyn gang that would later become the Bonanno crime family Stefano Magaddino, crime boss of the Buffalo crime family Salvatore Maranzano, mobster, founder of the Bonanno crime family Sergio Mattarella politician, 12th and current president of the Italian republic Piersanti Mattarella politician and the 12th president of Sicily (1978–1980) Bernardo Mattarella politician and a founder of the Christian Democracy Joseph Barbara, Italian-American mobster, caporegime of the Buffalo crime family Sebastiano DiGaetano, mafia boss of what would later become known as the Bonanno crime family Salvatore Sabella, crime boss and founder of Philadelphia crime family Joey Gallo, American baseball player whose mother was born in Castellammare del Golfo John Ventimiglia, American actor whose parents were born in Castellammare del Golfo