This
post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's
notes from our tour of Sicily in September 2023. When information from other
sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that
is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.
Don woke around 6 am. (MT was already up.)
At 8 am, we all went to breakfast buffet at Hotel Garibaldi.
Around 10 am, we started toward Erice. However, the route shown on the rental car's GPS from near out hotel was blocked to traffic due to a running race taking place this day. We had to try various alternative routes before we could get back on the way the GPS wanted us to go.
For most of our way westward, we used the 4-lane A29/E90 highway.
The
Autostrada A29 is 114.8 km (71.3 mi) motorway that runs westward from
Palermo along the northern coast of Sicily. It is also called Autostrada del Sale
(Motorway of Salt) because one of its branches ends at the salt pans between
Trapani and Marsalla. It is a four-lane motorway for its whole length. It is
also part of the European highway E90.
European route E90 is an A-Class west-east European route extending from Lisbon, Portugal in the west to the Turkish-Iraqi border in the east. It is part of the international E-road network, a numbering system of major roads in Europe developed by the UN. In most countries, the roads carry the European route designation alongside national designations (e.g., A+number for the Autostrada system in Italy).
European route E90 is an A-Class west-east European route extending from Lisbon, Portugal in the west to the Turkish-Iraqi border in the east. It is part of the international E-road network, a numbering system of major roads in Europe developed by the UN. In most countries, the roads carry the European route designation alongside national designations (e.g., A+number for the Autostrada system in Italy).
As we got closer to Erice, we had to leave the A29/E90 for smaller roads.
Soon, we could briefly see Erice atop a mountain in the distance. However, we didn't get a photo of it before we had to take a narrow road with many switchbacks and some hairpin turns.
.jpg)
Erice: view of town on mountaintop, from a distance (By Civa61 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53802862).
.jpg)
Monte Erice: hairpin switchbacks on the road to the top (By trolvag, CC BY-SA
3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56875468).
The ancient Greek name of Erice was Eryx, named for the Greek hero Eryx. It was not a Greek colony, since it was founded by the Elymians, an ancient people who inhabited the western part of Sicily during the Bronze Age and Classical antiquity. The Elymians shared western Sicily with the Sicani, the Phoenicians, and later the Greeks, when it was largely Hellenized. It was destroyed in the First Punic War (264-241 BC) by the Carthaginians. For the Carthaginians, Erice was of great strategic value because of its location. After that it declined in importance. However, in the 1st century BC, the Roman poet Virgil embellished its history by mentioning it twice in his epic work, the Aeneid, making it a stop on the travels of the Trojan hero Aeneas. Eryx was conquered in 831 by Arabs, who called it Gebel-Hamed (or Jabal Hamid), and was ruled by them until the Norman conquest. The Normans rebuilt the city and, in 1167, renamed it Monte San Giuliano. The city walls and bastions were restored. In 1934, under Mussolini, the town changed its name to Erice.
Sunday, September 17, 2023, 11:44 PM - Near Erice: GPS in car shows switchbacks.
On the road map, this road looked like twisting intestines going up the northeast side of the mountain and again going down the southwest side.
We arrived in Erice shortly after noon.
12:02 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - view from parking lot up to bell tower; the brown sign at right points left to "Quartiere Spagnolo" (Spanish Quarter) or "Spanish Fortress" (1.02 km).
12:08 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - bell tower and façade; MT and Lara by our rental car at bottom left.
MT 12:09 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - bell tower and façade.
The
Chiesa Matrice (Mother Church), also known as Real Duomo (Royal
Cathedral) of Erice, dates back to the beginning of the 14th century. It was originally
built in Gothic style in 1312 or 1314, by the will of Frederick III of Aragon
and dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. In Sicily, the main church of a
town that is not an episcopal see is usually called Chiesa Matrice. However,
this one is also known as Real Doumo because it was founded by King Frederick. It
is located at the southeast corner of the triangular town, just a few steps
from the Porta Trapani gate.
It is built in the shape of a Latin cross with two entrances. It was constructed with stones from the ancient Temple of Venus Ericina. The exterior of the church is Romanesque, with solid, heavy stone walls and a boxy shape. The austere façade includes a portico of pointed arches and is surmounted by a beautiful typically Gothic rose window. The bell tower, rising 28 m (92 ft) next to the church, was built in the late 15th century atop a watchtower from the 2nd century BC. Frederick III of Aragon, who eventually lost Sicily to the Spanish, built the tower so his sentries could watch for invading troops in the sea lanes far below. Therefore, the tower is known as Torre di Federico. The church’s porch, called the “Gibbena” (from the Latin agi bene, meaning “act well), was added in 1426 to accommodate public penitents who were not allowed to partake in the Mass. They missed out on worshipping under a beautifully detailed vaulted arabesque ceiling in front of the enormous altarpiece of Carrara marble depicting the life of Christ. The interior of the church is a result of somewhat confusing 19th-century reconstruction. The original Gothic vaulting sits atop later Neoclassical columns. While the walls would originally have been frescoed but are now brilliantly white and unadorned, letting the viewer appreciate the intricately elaborate Gothic ceiling carvings that combine elements of Norman and Islamic design. An original fresco dates back to 1420.
When the Normans gained control of Sicily from the Arabs in the 11th century, the Islamic population was not ejected from the island, and Sicilian art of the Norman period incorporated Islamic motifs (or at least a tendency for detailed embellishments) with Norman and Byzantine design and architecture.
The church is enriched by numerous Baroque altars and paintings from the 17th century. A silver statue of St. Anthony of Padua dates back to the 17th century and is an example of Neapolitan silver-craft.
It is built in the shape of a Latin cross with two entrances. It was constructed with stones from the ancient Temple of Venus Ericina. The exterior of the church is Romanesque, with solid, heavy stone walls and a boxy shape. The austere façade includes a portico of pointed arches and is surmounted by a beautiful typically Gothic rose window. The bell tower, rising 28 m (92 ft) next to the church, was built in the late 15th century atop a watchtower from the 2nd century BC. Frederick III of Aragon, who eventually lost Sicily to the Spanish, built the tower so his sentries could watch for invading troops in the sea lanes far below. Therefore, the tower is known as Torre di Federico. The church’s porch, called the “Gibbena” (from the Latin agi bene, meaning “act well), was added in 1426 to accommodate public penitents who were not allowed to partake in the Mass. They missed out on worshipping under a beautifully detailed vaulted arabesque ceiling in front of the enormous altarpiece of Carrara marble depicting the life of Christ. The interior of the church is a result of somewhat confusing 19th-century reconstruction. The original Gothic vaulting sits atop later Neoclassical columns. While the walls would originally have been frescoed but are now brilliantly white and unadorned, letting the viewer appreciate the intricately elaborate Gothic ceiling carvings that combine elements of Norman and Islamic design. An original fresco dates back to 1420.
When the Normans gained control of Sicily from the Arabs in the 11th century, the Islamic population was not ejected from the island, and Sicilian art of the Norman period incorporated Islamic motifs (or at least a tendency for detailed embellishments) with Norman and Byzantine design and architecture.
The church is enriched by numerous Baroque altars and paintings from the 17th century. A silver statue of St. Anthony of Padua dates back to the 17th century and is an example of Neapolitan silver-craft.
12:09 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - bell tower and façade.
12:11 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - inside of Porta Trapani.
12:11 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - inside of Porta Trapani; although the narrow gate was made to accommodate traffic by foot or horse, we saw a small car go through it.
12:28 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - façade.
12:29 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - sign near door on façade for "Real Duomo" with a map of Erice showing Real Duomo at number 2 at bottom left.
12:31 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - signs on façade with entrance prices: "Tickets at the Bell Tower"; "Museo di Erice La Montagna del Signore (MEMS) [Museum of Erice The Mountain of the Lord] open 10:00 - 19:00; Real Duomo €2.50; prices for tower and other churches; Pass for All €6.00. (However, we were able to visit the cathedral and the small museum in it without paying.); white sign at bottom gives "Price per Site," including Real Duomo €2.50 and a longer list of other sites, with a €12.00 "Price to visit all sites with Erice Card, valid all year round."
12:33 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - weathered frieze above door on façade (telephoto 130 mm).
MT 12:37 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - interior, from rear to apse.
MT 12:45 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - marble main altar in apse (mild telephoto 45 mm).
12:35 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - ceiling of nave, from rear.
12:36 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - marble baptismal font, with cover, and wooden confessional, at left rear of nave.
MT 12:38 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - closer view of marble baptismal font, with cover, at left rear of nave (mild telephoto 45 mm).
12:37 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - altar on left side of nave, with infant of Prague statue.
12:38 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - sign for "Museo di Erice La Montagna del Signore" (MEMS) [Museum of Erice The Mountain of the Lord] outside museum display off left side of nave.
12:38 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - old confessional and holy water font in museum display off left side of nave.
12:43 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - closer view of holy water font next to confessional, in museum.
MT 12:41 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - even closer view of angel on holy water font next to confessional, in museum.
12:39 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - sign in museum for oil painting (above) of "Our Lady of the Rosary with the Souls of Purgatory", Oil painting on canvas, Inscription: A. Augugliaro, Restoration 1934, Giovanni Battista, Scannatella, 1705; "Acquasantiera [holy water font] Graven marble, Sicilian manufacture, End of the XV century" (back to the left); and "Pulpio [Pulpit] Gold carved wood, Inscription: Beati qui audiunt verbum [Blessed are those who hear the word of God], Luca XI, Bernardo da Massina, End of XVIII century" (to right).
12:39 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - old pulpit, with that inscription, in museum.
12:40 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - old altar, with St. Joseph and Christ Child, in museum.
12:41 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - sign in museum for "St. Joseph with Christ Child, Polychromatic and Carved wood and canvas, Pietro Orlando, last years of XVII century." (at top right).
12:45 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - main altar in apse.
12:45 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - view from apse to rear of nave, with vaulted ceiling.
12:45 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - rose window at rear of nave (telephoto 130 mm).
12:46 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - ceiling and left side of nave, from right front toward rear.
12:46 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - altar with marble statue of Virgin and Child, on right side of nave.
12:48 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - altar with crucifix and child in glass case below it, on left side of nave.
12:50 PM - Erice: Chiesa Matrice - MT lighting candle for St. Anthony, at rear of nave.
Then we went to the Chapel of St. Isodore, just to the left of the Chiesa Matrice.
12:55 PM - Erice: small chapel St. Isodore, on street around corner to left of Chiesa Matrice.
12:56 PM - Erice: sign next to entrance of small chapel for "Sant' Isodoro" at 2b on map.
12:57 PM - Erice: interior of Sant' Isodoro chapel, view from rear to front, taken (without flash) before noticing sign for no photos or videos at rear of chapel.
Then we saw a group of people in period costumes near Porta Trapani, preparing for a procession up the street to the right of the cathedral.
The
Festa FedEricina Festival in Erice takes place in the month of September.
(In 2023, it took place on September 15, 16, and 17.) For three days, there is
a medieval atmosphere of celebration and fun, with drum parades, musicians, flag-wavers,
falconry displays, and medieval dances. However, the highlight of the event was
a procession on the afternoon of 17th. It is a historical reenactment of the
entry of Federico (Frederick) III of Aragon, King of Sicily (ruled 1295-1337)
and his wife Donna Eleonora D’Angió into the city. The royal procession begins
at the Porta Trapani, where the king and queen are welcomed by guards, knights,
drummers, other musicians, flag-wavers, and commoners. The parade leads to
Torre Pepoli Castle, for the Notte Federicina (Night of Federico) to end the
festival.
At the time of the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282-1302), King Frederick III lived in Erice for a long time, and he was responsible for the creation of the Gothic cathedral.
At the time of the War of the Sicilian Vespers (1282-1302), King Frederick III lived in Erice for a long time, and he was responsible for the creation of the Gothic cathedral.
1:04 PM - Erice: MT (at left) with people with drums preparing for a procession; Lara and Chiara approaching right side of gate.
1:04 PM - Erice: MT (at left), talking with one of the people preparing for a procession; Lara and Chiara near right side of gate.
MT 1:04 PM - Erice: drummers and other people preparing for a procession.
MT 1:04 PM - Erice: elegant people near left side of gate, including queen (dark red, in background near left side of gate) and lady in blue with a crown and scepter in center foreground; drummer in left foreground.
MT 1:04 PM - Erice: elegant people near left side of gate, including queen (dark red, in background near left side of gate) and king (dark red hat in shadow near right side of gate); lady in blue with a crown, now at right; drummer in left foreground.
1:05 PM - Erice: MT (at left center), talking with the couple Don mistook for king and queen, but the real king and queen are still in the shadows under the arch; lady in blue with a crown and scepter in the center foreground, walking next to drummer.
MT 1:05 PM - Erice: couple, with whom MT was just talking, preparing for the procession.
1:05 PM - Erice: MT (at left) walking away from the couple Don mistook for king and queen, but the real king and queen are still in the shadows under the arch, and a motorcycle is entering in the foreground.
At that point, a group of motorcycle riders cut across the street in front of the medieval people.
1:05 PM - Erice: MT (at left center); a motorcycle is crossing the street in the foreground.
1:05 PM - Erice: real king and queen still at arch, but lady with crown and scepter is in the foreground and the couple mistaken for king and queen are in right foreground.
1:05 PM - Erice: king and queen now moving forward from the arch.
1:05 PM - Erice: king and queen now moving forward, behind three other ladies.
MT 1:06 PM - Erice: procession moving up the street, led by red banners and drummers.
1:06 PM - Erice: procession moving up the street.
1:06 PM - Erice: procession moving up the street, with sign for "bar" where we would have lunch in red box; MT at left.
1:08 PM - Erice: sign for that "bar" advertising their specialty "Pane Cunzato."
Then we all went to that "bar" for lunch. Don and Lara ordered the Pane Cunzato (Seasoned Bread) sandwich, the same we had had in Palermo, while MT and Chiara got the tuna sandwich, and we shared so everyone had both.
After lunch, Lara and Chiara elected to stay near the cathedral to shop and look around, while Don and MT headed uphill, following the procession route, toward the castle and other sites on our map. We agreed to meet later at the St. Isodore chapel.
MT 1:48 PM - Erice: Don on cobbled street just inside Porta Trapani.
MT 1:51 PM - Erice: cobbled street heading uphill toward Chiesa di San Giuliano.
2:00 PM - Erice: Chiesa di San Giuliano - façade and bell tower.
The
Chiesa di San Giuliano (Church of St. Julian) is one of the oldest
churches in Erice. It was built by the Normans in the 11th century as a small parish
church in the Gothic style. It was dedicated to St. Julian, who was martyred in
254 AD. According to stories, St. Julian defeated the Muslims who wanted to
conquer Erice. Known as the “liberator,” he became protector of the city, and
is depicted as a warrior with a sword and a falcon. Built on the top of the
highest hill in the inhabited center, the church was so important that Mount
Erice was called Mount San Giuliano until 1934. It was rebuilt in 1612-15, when
its structure became more majestic with its three naves. In 1770, the Baroque
ball tower, with a pagoda roof, was added.
2:01 PM - Erice: sign for "Chiesa di San Giuliano" (Church of St. Julian).
2:02 PM - Erice: sign for "Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Giuliano sec, XII-XVII" (Parish Church of St. Julian 12th-17th Century).
2:03 PM - Erice: Chiesa di San Giuliano - bell tower.
Then we came to the far southeastern point of Erice, with a group of castles and towers.
2:21 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - part of sign near castles and towers (same as southeast corner of our tourist map) with a key that identified "14 Giardini del Balio" (with picture of Torri del Balio), "15 Castello di Venere," and "17 Torretta Pepoli."
2:08 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - tallest of the towers, viewed from Giardini del Balio.
.jpg)
Erice: Torri del Balio - tallest tower and curtain wall (Di Björn S., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54913633).
.jpg)
Erice: Torri del Balio - tallest (northwest) tower, curtain wall, and part of eastern tower (Di trolvag, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56875472).
.jpg)
Erice: Torri del Balio - view from below, with all three towers (Di Dedda71 - Opera propria, CC BY-SA
3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4098760).
The
Torri del Balio (Towers of Balio), sometimes referred to as Castello
del Balio (Castle of Balio), are a medieval military fortification, with an
adjoining garden, Giardini del Baio. Both the towers and the gardens
take their name from the Norman baiulo, meaning governor. Construction
started in the 13th century. The two original towers, from the Norman era were
joined by a powerful curtain wall in rough stone and were connected to the
Castello di Venere Castle of Venus) via a drawbridge. A third tower and the
city wall were built later, with an access door surmounted by an arch with the
coat of arms of the Spanish Habsburgs. In the following centuries, the complex
fell into ruin. During the Bourbon reform (1818-19), it passed to the
Municipality of Erice and was later given to Count Agostino Sieri Pepoli who
began renovation in 1872 and rebuilt the pentagonal tower, which had been
demolished. He also created an English public garden.
The
Giardini del Balio (Garden of Balio) is a real highlight of the castle
area of Erice. It has lots of shaded areas and affords spectacular views.
MT 2:08 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - Don by tallest of the towers, viewed from Giardini del Balio.
MT 2:09 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - MT by tallest of the towers, viewed from Giardini del Balio.
2:08 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - tallest (northwest) tower, curtain wall, and eastern tower, viewed from Giardini del Balio.
2:11 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - view, from crenellated wall of viewpoint near easternmost tower, to sea.
MT 2:12 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - view, from crenellated wall of viewpoint near easternmost tower, to sea, with more of nearby town.
2:12 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - view, from crenellated wall of viewpoint near easternmost tower, down the cliff toward the sea.
2:13 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - view, from crenellated wall of viewpoint near easternmost tower, to Castello di Venere e Pepoli.
.jpg)
Erice: Castello di Venere (Di xorge - 6 erice (34), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67403491).
The Casello di Venere (Castle of Venus) is a 12th-century Norman castle that stands on an isolated cliff in the southeast corner of the summit of Mont Erice. It was built on the ruins of a Temple of Venere Erycina, a Phoenician house, and a Roman bath, fragments of which are still visible inside its walls. The fortress was the “piazza reale” (royal square) for the Agaronese viceroys and the Spanish Habsburgs until the 16th century. In the first decades of the 19th century, it passed to the Municipality of Erice, which at the end of that century gave it to Count Agostino Pepoli in exchange for the restoration of the Balio Towers. It is now known as the Castelo di Pepoli e Venere. Next to it are the towers of the Castle of Balio.
2:13 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - view, from crenellated wall of viewpoint near easternmost tower, down to Torretta Pepoli, with Castello di Venere at top right.
The
pretty little Torretta Pepoli, which resembles a chess piece in parts,
is a little further down the mountain and overshadowed by Castello di Venere.
It allows Erice to claim two castles. It was built on a rock by Count Agostino
Pepoli in 1872-80 and initially was a hunting lodge. It later served as a
gathering place for men of art, music, and culture. It was restored in 2014. It
is one of the symbols of Erice.
MT 2:14 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - view, from crenellated wall of viewpoint near easternmost tower, down to Torretta Pepoli, with Castello di Venere at top right.
2:13 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - view, from crenellated wall of viewpoint near easternmost tower, down to Torretta Pepoli (mild telephoto 58 mm).
2:27 PM - Erice: Giardini del Balio - view of Torretta Pepoli and viewpoint near easternmost tower of Torri del Balio.
MT 2:17 PM - Erice: Giardini del Balio - MT and Don by crenellated wall of viewpoint near easternmost tower of Torri del Balio, with sea in background.
MT 2:28 PM - Erice: view back toward easternmost tower of Torri del Balio and adjacent viewpoint, with curtain wall leading to next tower.
2:13 PM - Erice: Torri del Balio - view from viewpoint to left, toward Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista (east side) and the sea.
.jpg)
Erice: Chiesa di San Giovanni Baptista - east side (Di Bbruno - Opera propria,
CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29170516).
The Chiesa di San Giovanni Baptista (Church of St. John the Baptist) is located adjacent to the square of the same name (Piazza San Giovanni), near the Torretta Pepoli and the ruined Jewish Quarter of Erice. It was built on the east side of the city, in a panoramic position that allows beautiful views of the valley and the coast. The white-domed church is probably the oldest church in Erice, despite many alterations that have changed its appearance. According to local tradition, it was founded by Count Ruggero (Roger the Norman), the Grand Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101, during the Norman reconquest of Sicily, which had been in Muslim hands. However, the first written documentation of its existence was in 1339. It underwent restoration in 1430-36, during the Aragonese era. The works involved the partial rotation of the orthogonal axis, in which the original main entrance on the east side became a secondary entrance. This gave the church a double façade. Still considered small, it was rebuilt a second time in 1631-72, during the Spanish era, when the dome was built. The squat bell tower, begun in 1691, remained unfinished. In the Bourbon era, between the 17th and 19th centuries, the church underwent various conservative interventions. The church is no longer used as a place of worship and is now used only as an auditorium.
2:37 PM - Erice: Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista - west side and Piazza San Giovanni.
Shorty after that, after continuing northward on Via San Giovanni, we came onto the Via Nunzio Nasi, which our tourist map (given to us by some British people who no longer needed it) showed as curving around eastward to the Porta Carmine.
2:48 PM - Erice: Porta Carmine - inner side with smaller opening on outer side leading to a street with parked cars; a small sign to the left of the gate (not legible here) may have identified this as Porta Carmine, but our attention was drawn to two signs at the right, a brown one pointing right to "quartiere Spagnolo" (Spanish Quarter) and a blue one pointing out through the gate toward "Trapani."
The
Porta Carmine, located in front of a former Carmelite convent and a church by the
same name, is the middle one of the three existing gates in the cyclopian
walls. It was the least modified of the three gates, maintaining at least the
substance of its medieval appearance despite various renovations it has
undergone over time. Its origin can be traced back to the time between the Norman
period, when the city was fortified, and the 14th century, when the city
flourished again. The megalithic structure of the base of the gate and of the
lateral bastions reveal its ancient origin, but the presence of the round arch,
unlike the pointed arches of the other two gates, tends to place it closer to
the 14th century.
The cyclopian walls extend for 700 m (2,296 ft), from Port Spada to Port Trapani, on the northwestern side of the town, which was once the only side accessible for an attack. (Rocky precipices naturally protected the other side.) The lower part of the wall, with megalithic limestone blocksdates back to the Elymian-Phoenician period.
The term cyclopian comes from the belief of classical Greeks that only the mythical Cyclops had the strength to move the huge boulders that made up the walls.
The adjective “cyclopian” gives an idea of the greatness of the Elymian-Punic walls, which were originally built by the ancient Elymian people to defend Erice between the 7th and 6th centuries BC, and were later suplemented by the Phoenicians, with whom they shared western Sicily at that time.
Walking along the walls reveals different layers of stone from different parts of the town’s past. The lower level dates back to Elymian times. It consists of large, megalithic blocks that were roughly fitted together with no use of mortar and have been left in their natural state. Smaller stones, well squared and in similar rows, dating back to Phoenician-Punic times, rest on them. After the 6th century BC, they were reinforced by the Carthaginians. Extensive restoration and reconstructions were made in the Roman period. The walls were completed by the Normans during medieval times, when stripes of smaller stones were placed along the top and the gates were built.
As the borders of the town changed over the centuries, the walls eventually became obsolete. Some parts are badly damaged. The city was sacked by the Carthaginians during the First Punic War (264-241 BC), but others are remarkably intact. Only 16 of the original 25 towers remain, linked by mighty curtain walls.
The cyclopian walls extend for 700 m (2,296 ft), from Port Spada to Port Trapani, on the northwestern side of the town, which was once the only side accessible for an attack. (Rocky precipices naturally protected the other side.) The lower part of the wall, with megalithic limestone blocksdates back to the Elymian-Phoenician period.
The term cyclopian comes from the belief of classical Greeks that only the mythical Cyclops had the strength to move the huge boulders that made up the walls.
The adjective “cyclopian” gives an idea of the greatness of the Elymian-Punic walls, which were originally built by the ancient Elymian people to defend Erice between the 7th and 6th centuries BC, and were later suplemented by the Phoenicians, with whom they shared western Sicily at that time.
Walking along the walls reveals different layers of stone from different parts of the town’s past. The lower level dates back to Elymian times. It consists of large, megalithic blocks that were roughly fitted together with no use of mortar and have been left in their natural state. Smaller stones, well squared and in similar rows, dating back to Phoenician-Punic times, rest on them. After the 6th century BC, they were reinforced by the Carthaginians. Extensive restoration and reconstructions were made in the Roman period. The walls were completed by the Normans during medieval times, when stripes of smaller stones were placed along the top and the gates were built.
As the borders of the town changed over the centuries, the walls eventually became obsolete. Some parts are badly damaged. The city was sacked by the Carthaginians during the First Punic War (264-241 BC), but others are remarkably intact. Only 16 of the original 25 towers remain, linked by mighty curtain walls.
The Porta Carmine led us outside the wall to a street with many cars parked along the sides.
MT 2:49 PM - Erice: outer side of Porta Carmine with part of a sign for "Mura [Elimo Punice] De[le ciclopiche - Porta Carmine] sec. [VIII-VI a.c.]" ([Elymian-Punic] Wall of [the cyclopian Porta Carmine 8th-6th] cen[tury BC]) to right of gate, with MT inside gate near building with sign above door for "Il Carmine," a hotel that currently occupies the former Convento del Carmine and signs to left and right of door for "Al Convento," a restaurant in the hotel.
The Hotel Il Carmine was born from the redevelopment of the former Carmelite Convento del Carmine. The convent and the adjacent Church of the Annunciation (also known as Chiese del Carmine) were built in 1423 close to the walls that mark the western border of Erice, at the Porta Carmine gate. The hotel includes a chapel and the restaurant Al Convento. The church, despite having been renovated, still retains many characteristics of its original Gothic style.
2:50 PM - Erice: more of sign by outer side of Porta Carmine for "Mura Eli[m ]o Punice De[le] ciclopiche - P[ort]a Carmine sec. VIII-VI a.c." (Elymian-Punic Wall [...] cyclopian - Porta Carmine 8th-6th century BC).
2:49 PM - Erice: sign for "Quartiere Spagnolo" (Spanish Quarter).
2:49 PM - Erice: sign for "Quartiere Spagnolo Spanish Fortress 470m" (Spanish Quarter).
The Quartiere Spagnolo (Spanish Quarter) is not a real quarter but just a building. It is an unfinished fortress-like structure begun in the 17th century to house a garrison of Spanish soldiers, but never completed. It is located on a large rocky esplanade outside the walls of Erice. Today it houses the ethno-anthropological section of the Antonio Cordici Museum Complex, in which the Association Arké displays an exhibition of “Arts and Crafts of old times.”
The street outside the wall (Viale del Carmine) led us around onto road SS33, on which we had entered Erice, and then to the Porta Trapani, through which we had entered the town.
3:03 PM - Erice: Porta Trapani, from the outside, leading to street near Cathedral, where we had started.
Then we met Lara and Chiara at the St. Isodore chapel, near the Cathedral.
From there, we drove back down the mountain toward Trapani and Marsala. This road had fewer twists and turns that the one that had taken us up the other side.
3:52 PM - Near Erice, on way down: view of the sea; barely visible on the coast at the center is a large building.
MT 3:52 PM - Near Erice, on way down: view of the sea; barely visible on the coast at the center is a large building (telephoto 91 mm).
3:52 PM - Near Erice, on way down: view of that large building on coast, with smaller buildings visible in foreground (telephoto 130 mm).
3:52 PM - Near Erice, on way down: view of more buildings near coast, with orchard in foreground (telephoto 130 mm).
4:07 PM - Near Erice, on way down: Lara and MT in front seat with GPS showing only slight curve ahead; view of coast ahead at right.
4:44 PM - Between Erice and Marsala: possible view of salt flats.
When we tried to enter the address for the Seawater Hotel in Marsala as Via Trapani, 330 in the car's GPS on on iPhones, it couldn't find that address, So we finally just entered "Marsala" as our destination.
Once in Marsala, we tried the hotel's address again, but it still didn't work. We then tried to call the hotel at the number from their web site, but that didn't work either, In Don's notes, he found the address for the "sede legale" (legal headquarters) for the Seawater hotels on "Via Francisco Crispi, 14, in Marsala, thinking that office could tell us how to find the hotel, and the GPS accepted that. While following the GPS toward that address, we soon found ourselves on Via Trapani and found the hotel at 330.
We got checked in at the Seawater Hotel, where the desk clerk couldn't explain why we had trouble getting there.
MT and Don went to nearby Penny market/store at Via Trapani, 257 for water and checked out groceries.
MT 6:00 PM - Marsala: Penny market - variety of olives with other prepared vegetables (mild telephoto 34 mm).
We ate dinner (included) at the hotel restaurant.
MT 7:55 PM - Marsala: Seawater Hotel - four of us at dinner table by pool.
While we were waiting on our food, MT checked Google Maps on her iPhone for route from Seawater Hotel to Piazza del Popolo where we were to meet a van for our included excursion to Mozia the next morning.
MT 8:13 PM - Marsala: Google Map showing route from Seawater Hotel on Via Trapani to Piazza del Popolo.
MT 8:28 PM - Marsala: Seawater Hotel - MT's fish and eggplant.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment