Marsala the area has been conquered by Norman, Angevin and Aragonese troops. During this time, Marsala became wealthy, primarily through trade. However the blocking up of the harbour of Punta Alga, decreed by Emperor Charles V so as to stop Saracen forays, brought an end to this period of prosperity. The development of Marsala wine at the end of the 18th century, headed by English merchants settled in Sicily, considerably improved local trade. This triggered an economic expansion in Marsala, including the funding of infrastructure projects such as the current harbour of Margitello. On 11 May 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi landed at
Italian cruiser Marsala Italian cruiser Marsala Marsala was a protected cruiser built by the Italian "Regia Marina" (Royal Navy) in the 1910s. She was the second and final member of the , which were built as scouts for the main Italian fleet. She was equipped with a main battery of six guns and had a top speed in excess of , but her engines proved to be troublesome in service. "Marsala" spent World War I based at Brindisi; she was involved in the Battle of the Otranto Straits in May 1917, where she briefly engaged Austro-Hungarian cruisers. "Marsala"s career was cut short in