
			Alcamo's fame, in the whole of Italy, is linked to the name of Cielo o Ciullo d'Alcamo, who composed, in the first part of the XIII century, the song in thirty-two strophes "Rosa Fresca Aulentissima, that is one of the oldest documents of Italian Literature, created by the Sicilian Poetical School of Federico II. Alcamo (from the Arab word Alqamah) is situated at 50 Kilometres from Trapani and Palermo. It is on a highland at 256 mt. above sea-level,and lies on the slopes of Mount Bonifato. For its privileged geographical position, it has an important commercial role between the capital and the west coast of Sicily. The first written evidences of the town, dating back to the XII century, define it as "Magna ed Opulenta civitas". Alcamo, like nearly all the Sicilian towns, had several foreign dominations (Arab, Norman, Swabian, Spanish) whose traces are visible in the architectural structures, of its monuments and in the several artistic works that beautify. THE TOWN. Magnificent quarters and touristic routes of high international level can be found. It is historicallly tested, from several documents, that Alcamo and Bonifato were two "lands" inhabited at the same time since the XIV century; but it has to been specified, that while Alcamo at the foot of the of the Mount, enlarged more and more, Bonifato had alternate successions of population and depopulation. Mount Bonifato, with its inhabitants, was considered not only a marvellous look-out tower land, overlooking all the Gulf of Castellammare and all the towns of the hinterland, but also a place easily defensible, especially for the straight down walls in the North- Eastern part. Evidences of the old settlements can be found at the peak of Mount Bonifato: the rests of the "Saracen Tower", that is what nowadays remains of the old Castle of the Ventimiglias, the monumental rests of the antique tank known as "La Funtanazza" and at last the rests of buildings with a monocellular structure. Around the first half of the XIV century the inhabitants that lived on Mount Bonifato went down to the valley and joined those of the hamlet situated at the foot. This is how Alcamo was populated. The construction of the Castle of Conte di Modica, that gives an impressive testimony of the past, dates back to this period, around 1350. The castle has a rhomboidal form with four towers alternately cylindrical and parallelepiped, with two mullioned windows and three mullioned windows of gothic-catalan origin. The walls, embattled like the towers (before 1820, before it became a district prison) could be run along by guards and at the peak they had outlets for the discharge of gunpowder. Two other constructions of the XVI century testimony the antique architecture . The Church of San Tommaso represents, especially in the splendid portal and in the front of the building, the most important gothic-catalan building of the town. One of the unusual examples of XV century civil architecture is The Tower of the De Ballis'Palace. The three splendid portals attributed to Bartolomeo Berrettaro date back to the XV century and are to be found in the following churches: Chiesa Madre, Chiesa S.Maria di Gesù and Chiesa di S.Maria del Soccorso.


			The town of Castellammmare del Golfo verisimilarly is the antique harbour of Segesta (Emporium Aegestensium - Cicerone). Probably its history starts with the "Elimi", a population probably descending from the Troys, inhabitants of Segesta and commanders of the Northwestern part of Sicily. Castellammare suffered, like the rest of Sicily, Roman, Bizantinium and Arab dominium and the last named it Al Madarig (the stairs). Nowadays the town has a population of about 15.000 inhabitants and offers its tourists several natural beauties and kilometres of coast, from the west starting from the river San Bartolomeo, that change from sandy beaches to indented coastlines. It is a following of natural beauties that reflect in a crystalline sea, whose shoals are particularly appreciated by underwater photographers. Interesting is the hinterland of Castellammare with its several thermal waters. It is enough to go through 7 kilometres towards the hinterland to goback in time: at the locality "Ponte Bagni" yo will find the thermal baths "Terme Segestane" and "Bagni Cutino", directly made on four thermal springs of sulphurous water at 45E. From the results of chemical analysis and physical data it is considered an hyperthermal water of sulphate-sulphurous nature, usable for therapeutic baths. Castellammare del Golfo offers a multiplicity of cultural and religious folkloric manifestations: "Scopello's Musical Summer" patronized by the "Theatre Massimo" in Palermo, the Feast of the patron Saint "Maria Santissima del Soccorso" (19/20/21 August) and particularly suggestive is the "procession at sea" on the 19th of August, with the simulacrum of the Madonna and with the laying of 10.000 oil lamps on the stretch of water before the town reaching the rocks of Scopello.


			A few kilometres after Castellammare del Golfo and the Thermal baths you will find Segesta, the most powerful urban place of the "Elimi", with its majestic works: the Temple, the pseudo-templar Peristyle in Doric style, that takes its origins probably in the last decades of the V century B.C., the Greak Anphitheatre, in a splendid panoramic position, the Sanctuary, south of the Theatre, discovered only at the end of the sixties. The Representations of classical works are held at the Greak Anphitheatre in August.


			Several touristic itinararies may be suggested. You reach Scopello (the antique Cetaria), term of Greek origin "Scopelos" (rock), from Castellammare del Golfo in direction Trapani, through the s.s. 187 that follows from above, for about 9 kilometres, the wonderful coast. It is here that the visitor is enchanted by the "FARAGLIONI", that, not till long ago was the place where Tuna fishing (La Mattanza) was carried out. "Cala delle Mosche", Scoglio del Passero", Mazzo di Sciacca", finally lead to the Natural Reserve "Zingaro" This splendid and suggestive view can be seen from Scopello. A fascinating small agglomerate surrounding an eighteenth-century beam. Here you can also see the Tower Bennistra built, with the Tower of Guidaloca and other coastal towers, in the XVI century to defend the inhabitants from the Saracen pirates.