Trapani
a coast town in the W. of Sicily; 23 miles W. of Palermo. The cathedral of St. Lorenzo, a town house, TRAPHAGEN a lyceum and a library are the chief public buildings. The town is well built, strongly fortified, and has a good natural harbor. The manufacture of sea salt is the chief industry, but corn, wine, fish and coral are also exported. Tripani is the ancient Drepanum or Drepana. It was fortified by Hamilcar in 260 B. C., and here in 249 Adherbal defeated the Roman fleet. Near it is Mount Eryx, now Monte S. Giuliano. Important discoveries of human and other bones in caves were made in 1869. Pop. (1901) commune, 61,000.