Between 11 and 30 May 1860, about a thousand volunteer combatants led by Giuseppe Garibaldi set out on a journey across Western Sicily.

The Expedition of the Thousand departed with two ships from a port near Genoa on the night between 5 and 6 May, bound for the island. On 11 May 1860, the two vessels then landed on the coast of Marsala, in the far west of Sicily, because Garibaldi’s informers had revealed that the area was not protected by Bourbon soldiers.

From Marsala, Garibaldi was therefore able to enter the Sicilian territory towards Salemi (which was proclaimed by Garibaldi himself the first capital of liberated Italy) on 14 May with his handful of soldiers (some of them very young, barely teenagers), crossing lands characterised by stunning landscapes, between sea and slopes, countryside and villages.

They reached Calatafimi the next day and on the Pianto Romano hill the two opposing armies, the Garibaldini and the Bourbons, fought the battle that became a milestone in Italian history.

This path has recently been recreated and mapped through «Essere Mille. Guida allo sbarco in Sicilia per aspiranti garibaldini» (2022, Exòrma edizioni), the book by author Stefano Cascavilla, which, starting from the diaries and accounts of Garibaldi’s men, accompanies step by step the reader, history enthusiasts and hiking lovers through the Sicilian countryside, prickly pears, “baglios” and breathtaking landscapes.

Trekking itineraries, history and natural images with a strong emotional impact characterise this corner of the island, just waiting to be discovered!

Salemi

It is known as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. From its 442 metres above sea level, it observes from the top of the hill on which it lies a valley in which rows of vineyards, gardens, wheat fields, paths, mule tracks and streams alternate.

Pianto Romano (Calatafimi)

The Pianto Romano shrine, a garibaldine monument where the remains of the protagonists of the Battle of Calatafimi in 1860 are kept, is rich in emotion and it is well worth a visit. A combined ticket also allows you to visit the Pianto Romano Museum and the Segesta Archaeological Park.

Marsala

A city in which history and geography are wonderfully combined and whose port has had a very important strategic importance over the centuries, not only for battles and as a crossroad of peoples and cultures, but also for trade, including that of wine.