Erice is a historical city in the
mountains close to Trapani in Sicily, Italy.
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; first, Pepoli Castle, which dates from
Saracen times, and Venus Castle which dates from the Norman period, on top of the ancient
Temple of Venus.
The city overlooks the bay of Castellammare del Golfo on Sicily's northern coast, and the
views are spectacular.
The ancient name of Erice was Eryx.
Venus Temple
A legend says that the temple of Venus (Venere Ericina) in Erice was founded by Aeneas; it
was certainly known throughout the Mediterranean area in the ancient age, and an important
cult was celebrated in it.Norman Castle of Erice
If one wishes to relive the pomp and splendour of medieval days, one has to climb almost
so high as the clouds up to Erice, an ancient town of Phoenician origin, where everything
has remained as it was. Sometimes called the Assisi of the south of Italy, this fortified
city on the top of Monte San Giuliano, looking down over the sea at Trapani, is
characterized by a triangular boundary wall that in its southern corner contains the
12th/13th-century castle. This stands in an area where in Roman times there was a temple
dedicated to the worship of Venus of Eryx, the goddess of love and fertility. Here, in the
Norman period, on the site of the ruined temple, it was decided to build a fortress
surrounded by massive walls and protected by a series of more advanced towers, the
"Torri del Balio" ("Bailey Towers"), which used to be connected to the
castle by means of a drawbridge. The castle's defensive character is still evident today
in the machicolation above the main gate, which is embellished with the coat of arms of
Charles V of Spain and a fine two-light mullioned window. The belvedere offers superb
views all around, over Trapani and the Egadi Islands to the west, the towers to the north,
the Pepoli turret below, the Church of San Giovanni, the coast towards Bonagia, Monte
Cofano, and - on a clear day - as far as Ustica. |
