Calatafimi Segesta

Calatafimi Segesta is a town of just over 8,000 inhabitants in a rural area of the province of Trapani. It was founded during the Arab domination of the island around a Byzantine fortification known as Kalat al-Fimi, or the Castle of Euphemius, a legendary figure who was said to have led the first Muslim invaders of Sicily in 827 AD. An Islamic cultural centre, the town was one of the first to be occupied by the Aghlabids from Ifriqiya. During the 14th century, under Aragonese rule, the town was given a greater strategic role and its castle and defensive walls were reinforced. It became part of the feudal dominions and continued to grow over the following centuries. In 1860 it was the scene of a great victory by Garibaldi’s troops over the Bourbons, an important historical event that proved decisive in the struggle for Italian independence.