Trapani Civic Museum

The headquarters of the Trapani Civic Museum it is the prestigious and ancient one Ligny Tower, a military fort built in the XNUMXth century to protect the city.

La Ligny Tower it was built precisely in 1671, while the Museum was established in 1981, although it was originally called Museum of Prehistory and the Sea.

Il Trapani Civic Museum is run by members of the Fardelliana Library, another historic institution in the town, open to the public since 1830.

Normally, the Civic Museum of Trapani, which exhibits objects recovered from seabed e prehistoric finds, is open every day from 9:00 am to 13:00 pm and again in the afternoon, from 16:00 pm to 20:00 pm.

The architecture of the Ligny Tower and what can be admired in the Museum

La Ligny Tower, overlooking the sea and surrounded by magnificent scenery, houses the small museum in the internal rooms.

Externally the tower looks like a tall building completely covered in bricks and stones, in soft colors such as sand and beige, which integrate perfectly with the rocks below.
The entrance to the Museum is located on the main facade: here is the door (the only entrance to the structure), dominated by the rectangular window on the upper floor and by a coat of arms in relief above the window. The façade is almost completely covered in light-coloured bricks and stones, while on the sides you can see darker-coloured bricks.

In the highest part of the building, which tends to narrow, at the corners where the walls meet, there are external conical structures, with the tip facing downwards, called sentry boxes, which were once illuminated.

In Trapani Civic Museum you can admire prehistoric finds on the ground floor e archaeological marine finds on the main floor, coming from all over the Mediterranean Sea and capable of telling the story of ancient peoples such as the Greeks, Romans and Carthaginians.

In the Museum you will find, among other finds, ancient helmets, anchors and amphorae, with a mysterious history.

What is possible to do inside the Civic Museum of Trapani and in the surrounding areas

A visit to Trapani can offer tourists many ideas to delve deeper into the history of Sicily and our entire country; the finds that can be admired in the Trapani Civic Museumin fact, they date back to ancient times, when there were Greeks and Romans on the island. From the Ligny Tower, however, you can also enjoy the splendid panorama overlooking the sea, from the rocks closest to the rest of the bay.

You can get to civic Museum, after taking a walk in the port of Trapani, passing beyond the Mura di Tramontana beach and passing the clubs, the marina and the Fish market; all attractions that we recommend you visit, also to discover the typical flavors of Trapani, such as very fresh fish, pasta with sardines or Trapani-style pesto, panelle and caponata.

After eating, what you need is a nice walk along the seafront, or through the alleys of the historic center, where you will find the Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The Church, built in 1421, is the Trapani Cathedral and has even more ancient origins, which date back toNorman era. Other historic buildings to visit in the city are the Church of the Purgatory and Conte Agostino Pepoli Regional Museum, where you can admire works of sacred art, but also ancient paintings, the wonderful cloister of the former Civic Museum and many works of art exhibited in the Pepoli collection starting from the beginning of the last century.

In Trapani there are many other attractions to see and we only highlight the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima Annunziata and the many churches in the center, the ancient buildings like the baroque Palazzo Cavaretta, the former Lazzaretto, the Saturn Fountain built in the fourteenth century gardens of Villa Margherita.

From Trapani, you can easily reach Erice, but you can also take the ferry to wonderful places Egadi Islands.

Recommended activities for a tour in Trapani and its surroundings

How is it possible to get to the Civic Museum of Trapani

La Ligny Tower Trapani can be reached with a walk towards the port. To get to the city, with the train you can get off directly at Trapani Station, while with the car we advise you to take the A29 Alcamo-Trapani, turning at the exit for the center of Trapani.