Located on Sicily's western coast about 30 kilometers south of Trapani, Marsala was founded as a Carthaginian colony in 379 BC following the destruction of the nearby settlement on the island of Mozia by the Syracusans. Earlier, the region had been populated by native Sicanians. Lilibeo, as it was then known, soon emerged as an important naval base. Its position was ideally suited for that purpose, and the Carthaginians used it as the site for their landings in many of their attempts to conquer the island. Lilibeo was the only city that was not completely Hellenized. The Romans conquered it in 241 BC following the great sea battle that also led to the conquest of Drepanum (Trapani). The Romans called it Lilybaeum, and the city's prosperity continued under their rule. Cicero, who visited in 75 BC, described it as a "splendid city." It was enriched by its trade with Africa. Not surprisingly, the sea around Marsala has yielded many ancient treasures.

Vandals attacked and virtually destroyed Marsala in 440. It was already becoming a center of Christianity. The Saracen Arabs called it "Marsa el Allah," or Port of God, which is the basis of its present name. Following the Norman and Swabian dominion of Sicily, Marsala's nobles supported the Angevin French against the Aragonese during the political conflicts spawned by the War of the Vespers.

The region was always known for its fine grapes, but it was the Englishman, John Woodhouse, who introduced the fortified wine business here in 1796, having already developed a similar product (Port wine) in Portugal. The early years of the nineteenth century saw the arrival of thousands of British troops in Sicily to bolster the armies of the King Ferdinando I during his exile from Naples in view of the Napoleonic occupation of the Italian mainland. Many were based at Marsala. This experience was more than sufficient to encourage other firms to follow Woodhouse's example. Ingham, Good and Whitaker had soon founded enological businesses of their own. The Florio family set up a firm in 1831.

The Norman Cathedral's dedication to Saint Thomas Becket seems appropriate in view of Marsala's English connections. It was probably the first church, in Sicily or anywhere, to be dedicated to this saint. The structure itself has been Phoenician stelaeextensively modified, though certain medieval features are still visible. the Cathedral Museum boasts some beautiful Flemish tapestries from the sixteenth century, commissioned by the Spanish monarch Philip II.

There are Roman ruins in Marsala. In the Cape Boéo area are some interesting archeological sites, such as a villa with baths and colorful mosaics, and the Baglio Anselmi Archeological Museum (on Lungomare Boéo) houses some important finds from land and sea, including a Punic era ship. The Church of Saint John (San Giovanni) was built over a cave converted into a home in Roman times, where Roman mosaic floors can still be seen.

Some of Marsala's older streets have a charming Baroque aspect, though the city is generally rather plain. The city's most noted role in more recent history was its choice by Giuseppe Garibaldi for his Sicilian landing in 1860, a choice determined in no small part by the cooperative attitude of the British commander who allowed the Piedmontese ships to enter the port, and the bribes that made some of the local officials willing to surrender the city with little more than token resistance.