Segesta (from the Egesta nymph’s name, according to the legend) is one of the main archaeological sites of Sicily and Italy too. Placed between Trapani and Palermo in a panoramic position on the mount Barbaro (400 mt), Segesta was an ancient town founded by the Elimi, and was, because of its strategic position, the opponent of Selinunte in the struggle for the territorial borders. At the center of a sour rivalry between Athens and Carthage, alternately joined with the Sicilian town, Segesta began a conflict with Siracusa in the V century b.C. joining with Leontini and asking for the Athens’ support. However, the Athenian military action did not take any result then Segesta lined up with Carthage, which first destroyed Selinunte and then conquered Segesta. The town was afterwards destroyed by Agatocle of Syracusa, that gave it the name of Diceopoli (town of the punishment). Faithful to Romans during the punic wars, Segesta had a great prosperity and modernization in this period. The end of Segesta dates back to the Middle Ages, period in which the town undergoed several sacks, but recent discoveries have noticed signs of probable Muslim, Norman and Svevi settlements in this zone. Only the ancient theatre and the Doric temple are still present and visitable. The Segesta theatre dates back to the III century b.C. and it’s placed on the hill in front of the temple. Of the original structure, able to contain up to 3000 people, the deep cavea of 60 meters of diameter divided into seven sectors by rocky stairs, the scene and the proscenium of the Roman period, remain. Segesta and its ancient theatre are every year place of classical performances (tragedies) belonging to the Greek and Latin culture. Outside the ancient walls of the town the Doric temple of the V century b.C. rises and it’s one of the most important and well-known Greek archaeology monuments in Sicily and in all the world too. Its stateliness, that evokes the Athenian Partenone, consists in a perimeter of 60x26 meters about, and presents columns which are not fluted, smooth metope and linear frontons. Near  the temple it’s also possible to visit an ancient sanctuary.

Today it’s possible to visit the Selinunte archaeological site according to this timetable

Opening time

Everyday: 09.00a.m. - 07.00p.m.

Ticket office closed at 06.00p.m.Ticket pricesFull fare: 4.50€

Tickets 

Reduced fare: 2.00€

Free entrance for under 18 and over 65,  European Community residents

Info: +39 0924 95 23 56

Selinunte ( from Greek selinon, celery ), ancient Greek colony placed in the southeast coast of Sicily between Marsala and Agrigento, was founded, according to Tucidide, in the VII century b.C. by colonists from Megara Iblea. Allied with Carthage because of the dangerous Segesta’s proximity, Selinunte was destroyed by Carthage itself during the first punic war. While it was Rome, in the 250 b.C, the reason of the further Selinunte’s ruin. Afterwards, a terrible earthquake around the X century reduced the colony in ruins. It was rediscovered in the second half of the XVI century by Tommaso Fazello,  but Englishmen started archaeological excavations  just in 1823. Selinunte is placed on a rectangular plateau in the west side of the harbour today totally covered by ground (only part of the quay and of the stores were discovered), a strategic area of big influence on the Mediterranean sea, between Belice and Modione valleys, navigable rivers at that time that they ensured a safe landing for ships. The closeness of the Mediterranean coast, the fertility of the soil, the commercial importance and the firm agreement with Phoenicians and Punics guaranteed big wealth to Selinunte economy. The ruins of this ancient Greek colony are in Trapani’s province, in the Castelvetrano territory. The site is divided in: Acropolis, eastern hill and the Malophoros sanctuary. On the eastern hill three temples are present: the colossal temple dedicated to Zeus, identified by the G letter, is today one of the biggest temple ( 113 x 54 m ), never finished because of its magnitude, whose columns are all fluted and 16,27m high. Built for receiving big crowds as we can see from the very wide structure of the pronaòs and  the presence of three naves, appeared for the first time among the Sicilian architectural models. The considerable dimensions show Greeks' big constructive mastery. The F temple is the most ancient and was built around the 530 b.C, dedicated to Athena and now completely destroyed. While the E temple, dedicated to Hera, was built in V century b.C, and its measures are 67,82m x 25,33m. The temples respect the artistic canons of the Doric style turned to essenzials and order, in contrast to the chaos of the modern and real world. The eastern hill was dedicated to some sky divinities, while the acropolis area was destined to the poliadi divinities. The acropolis today shows  the fortifications of the town, a big stair building  and the ruins of a tower. Of great importance is a votive chapel, the Megaron. Various sculptures found in this area are today observable in the National Archaeological Museum of Palermo, excluding the Selinunte Efebo, surely the most famous art work, exposed in the Municipal Castelvetrano Museum (Trapani). Today it is possible to visit the Selinunte archaeological site.

Opening time
Everyday: 09.00a.m. - 07.00p.m.
Ticket office closed at 06.00p.m.

Ticket prices
Full fare: 4.50€
Reduced fare: 2.00€
Free entrance for under 18 and over 65,  European Community residents

One of the most interesting archaeological sites of Sicily is sure the ancient Greek city of Morgantina. The numerous sources in which Morgantina is mentioned confirm its importance. In addition to  these there are obviously finds coming from the archaeological excavations performed in the area. The city extends on a small plain delimited by harmonious hills. In the plain center the Agorà is placed, dominated by the "hill of the Citadel", the Acropolis center. The site, before Greeks colonization, presented prehistoric settlements dating back to castellucciana culture and the Age of Bronze.  In IX century B.C. the Morgeti arrived (from which Morgantina takes name). In the Acropolis area testimonies of their colonization are found:  square plan cabins of an agricultural village. In IV century B.C. the Calcidesi colonists of Catania enlarged the site. In the 211 B.C., during the Punic wars, Morgantina allied with Carthage provoking its own destruction by Romans.
Along the perimeter of the archaeological area the ancient walls are visible which have an irregular course, following the zone orography. The walls did not have towers, only some fortress, and they were opened in correspondence of the four doors. In the Acropolis, beyond  the above-mentioned morgetiche cabins, the most ancient finds of the city, sacred area included, are found. The sacred area includes some small temples and the archaic naiskos, a large temple 32 meters (35 yds) long and dating back to VI century B.C. In the base of Acropolis hill the residential quarter is placed. Here rich examples of rooms with mosaic pavements and frescoed walls were discovered: the House of the Doric Capital, famous for its mosaic incision EYEKEY (be fine!) on the signino (lime and terracotta) pavement; the Ganimede’s House, that takes name from the inside mosaic representing the Ganimede rat; the House of Tuscanic capitals and the Magistrate House, both with mosaic and parietal decorations, are important too.
The most interesting place in Morgantina is sure the Agorà, divided into two levels (the lower for sacred rituals, the upper one for trades and publics purposes) connected by a big stair. This is very particular for its three sides that form a space probably used for the city assemblies, the Ekklesiasterion, or like place of worship also for nearby Sanctuary of the Ctonie Divinities, Demetra and Kore. Contemporary to the stair is without doubt the Greek Theatre. Its semicircular cavea is made up of 15 steps and is subdivided into six sectors; the stone stairs probably continued with some wood structures  to increase the theatre capacity capienza (up to 5000 seats about). The Sanctuary of the Ctonie Divinities has a trapezial plan and inside of it polychrome votive busts representing Demetra has been recovered. Near to the Greek theatre, east side, we find the public granary; dating back to the III century B.C. it has a rectangular plan. The rests of two furnaces on the inside prove the existence of factories of ceramics vases in the city.
The upper Agorà terrace is delimited by three  monumental porticoes with columns (stoà); one for gymnasium function, another for trade purposes, the other for public assemblies. In the center of this terrace is the Macellum, dating back to II the century B.C; the building, with square plan, is the most ancient model of known macellum. The archaeological finds discovered in the archaeological area of Morgantina are kept in the very interesting Archaeological Museum near to Aidone. The finds date back to Iron Age up to the I century B.C.

To visit

The excavations extend in a small valley and on two hills enclosing it. We find the Agorà, a small theatre and, on the north hill, some mosaics safe by covers.

How to arrive

By the Palermo-Catania highway, from Mulinello interchange, go to Piazza Armerina. Exit from Enna - Gela interchange, take the S.S. 288, surrounded by natural parks of pines and eucalyptuses, before arriving to Piazza Armerina. 6 Km (3,7 miles) away Aidone appears. The entry avenue culminates in St. Maria La Cava Church, destination of thousands of pilgrims who come from every part of  Sicily to venerate the St. Filippo Apostle miraculous sacred image.

On April 19th 2002 Thor Heyerdahl died. His name is symbol of great enterprises performed by him mostly sailing for the oceans and elaborating striking theories and trying to show them. For showing the theory of a contact between the South America and the Polinesia, this hardy Norwegian left from Callao, in Perù, on board of a raft like a divinity of the Inca Pantheon. On 1969 an international crew directed by him, travelled on a boat made of papyrus from the North African coasts to the South America ones. He was sure that the ancient civilisations were only apparently separate by big distances. The last year Thor Heyerdahl was interested to examine the Cirummeddi site and was invited by a studious of Pietraperzia (Paolo Sillitto architect) to visit the pyramid. We have visited it on March 17th 2002 with the Archaeological Group of Piazza Armerina and, made curious by some glamour, we have admired its mysterious beauty. Heyerdahl said it was an ancient place for the cult of Sun, like a mesopotamian "Ziggurat”. 

In the Cirummeddi plateau we have observed a series of natural high flat surfaces and among them the pyramid. It is made up of a set of megalithic structures maybe Neolithic, on which succeeding buildings are inserted up to the low Middle Ages. With a hilly and pyramidal appearance its height is 12 meters about. The base of the structure, 55 meters long and 30 large, is made up of  three orders of big steps cut off vertically by four incised little steps; through them we access to  the upper terraces, which are anyway connected by ramps to inclined plains. The steps have been observed with a compass and correspond to the four cardinal points. The monument shows two constructive ideas with a strong symbolic connotation: the one of the circle (his circumference) and the one of the square (the constructive plant of the superior plains, inserted in it).

Two buildings are placed on the top, carved in the calcareous rock, which look like altars where a ritual seat reminds us the one of Contrada Balati visited in the morning. The aspect of the monument could easily induce to believe to an ancient place for the cult of the Sun, but (in spite of the notability of Thor Heyerdahl’ s theory) wecan’t hazard audacious interpretations. The archeologist Emanuele Anati has studied the Pietraperzia site and has affirmed that the area has been colonized starting from the Neolithic age. Anyway, we remember that, on May 2000, we asked the archaeologist Sebastiano Tusa, who was interested in the connection between morphology and position in the Sicilian rural architectures from the IV to II millennium a.C., but no one confirmed the theory that the handmade of  Pietraperzia was older than the Middle Age.  In a zone of the pyramid we find a megalithic brickwork, while on the base of the plateau a quantity of chert is disseminated as discard of lithic industry. All around, fictile fragments of classical and medieval age are present. A cooperation has been created with European Union and Tenerife scholars to study the whole site . Moreover a stratigraphic study will be made by the Prof. E. Anati with the help of an aerostatic balloon for aerial monitoring. Thinking about the many next necropolis, the main aim is searching connected village at this site. And if the village was the pyramid itself?

In the past Agrigento was called “Akragas” and was one of the most important cities of the greek Sicily. The agriculture and the possibility of commercial relationships with the near punic centers were the reasons of its origin. The town was placed on a large area delimited by the Akragas (East side) and Hypsas (West side) rivers, by the Acropolis (North) and the Collina dei Templi (South). So the ancient town was much more extensive (about six times more) than the actual Agrigento that extends only in the acropolis area. Mighty walls, preserved and visible till today, surrounded the whole area.
In the center of this area, in a flat zone, the town was developed, divided into rectangular recluses.
A part of it has been discovered and carefully analyzed: it’s the roman-hellenistic Quarter; it’s made up of habitations dating back to the IV sec. b.C, that were lived up to the V century d.C. even if renovated.
Some of these habitations preserve inside very valuable mosaics and part of frescos. The house of the gazelle, of Dioniso, of Aphrodite, of the swastikas and the abstract artist, are the most interesting habitations.
Near the roman-hellenistic quarter is placed the convent of St. Nicola, now Archeologic Museum. Interesting archeologic collections are inside but, above all, the museum lodges two valuable monuments: the Falaride’s Oratory and the Ekklesiasterion (III sec).
The Ekklesiasterion is caved in the rock and probably used as place of the city assembly  (Ekklesia).
The Ekklesiaterion was replaced in the I century by the Falaride’s Oratory. The building is composed of an only room and has been regarded as a roman tomb for years; while it has to be considered as an holy place of adoration.
Another important building near the museum is the Bouleterion, house of senate, dating back to the IV century b.C.
The discovery of this building is an additional sign that the zone was entirely reserved to the public life.
The holy zones, instead, were placed as tradition in the surrounding hills. Among them we mention the temple of Zeus Atabyrios and Athena, placed on the hill of the acropolis, and the foundations of the Demetra’s temple (included in the St. Biagio’s church).
The most important holy area is obviously the very famous Collina dei Templi (temples hill). On this hill a series of temples is present in excellent conservation state, admirable for the stylistic level reached by the teachers of the epoch. They are in fact one of the most important doric style representation still existing. The temples were built by using calcareous local stone, covered by plaster both to imitate the marmoreal surfaces and to waterproof it.