Everything about Erice totally explained
» For the Spanish film director, see Victor Erice.
Erice () is a historic
town in the province of
Trapani in
Sicily,
Italy.
Erice is located on top of Mount Erice, at around 750m above sea level, overlooking the city of
Trapani, the low western coast towards
Marsala, the dramatic
Punta del Saraceno and
Capo san Vito to the north-east, and the
Aegadian Islands on Sicily's north-western coast, providing spectacular views.
History
The ancient name of Erice was Eryx, and its foundation was associated with the eponymous Greek hero
Eryx. It wasn't a Greek colony, but was largely Hellenized. It was destroyed in the
First Punic War by the
Carthaginians, and from then on declined in importance.
Main sights
In the northeastern portion of the city there are the remains of ancient
Elymian and
Phoenician walls indicating different stages of settlement and occupation in antiquity.
There are two castles that remain in the city:
Pepoli Castle, which dates from
Saracen times, and the
Venus Castle, dating from the
Norman period, built on top of the ancient Temple of
Venus, where Venus Ericina was worshipped. According to legend, the temple was founded by
Aeneas. It was well-known throughout the
Mediterranean area in the ancient age, and an important
cult was celebrated in it. In his book
On the Nature of Animals,
Aelian writes that animals chosen for sacrifice would voluntarily walk up to the altar to be killed.
The Gondola lift chairs up to the top of Erice are closed from mid January to mid March.
Culture
Erice hosts important
scientific meetings at the
Ettore Majorana center, organised by the controversial
astrophysicist Antonino Zichichi.
Gallery
Image:Erice-bjs-1.jpg|Main Church
Image:Erice-bjs-4.jpg|Norman castle
Image:Erice-bjs-5.jpg|View to Monte Cofano
Image:Erice-bjs-6.jpg|View to Trapani
Further Information
Get more info on 'Erice'.
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