Porta Garibaldi

Porta Garibaldi stands at the seaward edge of Marsala's historic centre. Built in 1685 as Porta Mare, it became associated with Giuseppe Garibaldi and the Thousand, who entered the city through the arch on 11 May 1860.

Why it matters

The gate is one of Marsala's two surviving historic city gates and a symbol of the city. Its connection with the landing of Garibaldi's expedition in 1860 links the architecture of the old town with the Risorgimento and the formation of the Kingdom of Italy.

What to notice

The upper part of the gate carries a crowned eagle, the Habsburg arms, beside a small terrace once used to watch arrivals. Its original name, Porta Mare, reflected its orientation toward the former shoreline. The arch opens onto the route of Via Garibaldi, which leads inland toward the cathedral.

Context and history

The municipality dates the gate to 1685, when it was built at the behest of Charles II, king of Spain and Sicily, replacing an earlier opening in the city's defences. Its defining historical association came on 11 May 1860, when Garibaldi and the volunteers of the Spedizione dei Mille entered Marsala through the arch. The gate later took Garibaldi's name and remains a prominent monument in the city's memory of that event.