Villa Marsa-Allah is located in Contrada Fontanelle, a few kilometres from the ancient town of Marsala. ‘Marsa Allah’ is the medieval name for Marsala, given to the town when it was under Arab rule, and signifies the Port of God. Indeed, Marsala’s port is central to its story – under Roman rule (when it was called Lilybeum) the city was the strategic base from which all naval expeditions to Africa set sail.
In the 18th century, thanks to English wine merchants like Woodhouse and Ingham, the town became the centre of – and gave its name to – the production of fortified ‘Marsala’ wine.
