Bed and Breakfast La Zagara - Paceco
The B&B LA ZAGARA was made with taste and attention to details, with the aim to... Read more »
Trapani: a colourful and charming city surrounded by the sea
Trapani, on the western tip of Sicily, is a compendium of different historical periods. Each ... Read more »
Discovering Trapani's old town
You cannot leave Trapani without visiting its old town, walking around its narrow alleys and ... Read more »
Visiting MEMS, Erice’s “network museum” of churches on the “Lord’s Mountain”
On the initiative of the Trapani Diocese, the parish of Erice decided to fully share with all... Read more »
Erice, myth and history: one of the most beautiful and picturesque villages throughout Italy
At the end of the winding road that from Trapani climbs the slopes of Mount San Giuliano, among breathtaking views that suddenly appear behind the bends, you will reached the ancient town of Erice, whose origins are lost in myth. According to Thucydides, Erice was founded by Trojan exiles. According to legend, the Trojans gave origin to the people known as Elymians, who made Erice their religious capital.
Erice is a truly unique town, a jewel embedded on the summit of Monte San Giuliano, where myths, legends, major historical events, fascinating sights and a rich artistic heritage dwell in perfect harmony. Erice is not only the Norman Castle (formerly the Temple of Venus and, before that, the temple of Tanit-Astarte and home to an ever-burning fire that served as a beacon for all sailors in the central-western Mediterranean sea), but also beautifully paved streets and clouds that become fog, ancient city walls and unimaginable landscapes where the horizon line is lost in the endless expanses of sea and sky.
History (freely taken from the website of the Municipality of Erice)
Thucydides (500 BC) tells that "after the fall of Troy (1183 BC) some of the Trojans landed in Sicily with their vessels, and dwelled there next to local "Sicani". These called them Elymians: their towns were Segesta and Erice ". Somewhere in this city or its mountain, according to Virgil, Aeneas buried his father Anchises. Besides Thucydides and Virgil, many more including Theocritus, Polybius, Horace and even Homer were unable to resist the charm of the mountain dedicated to the goddess of love and beauty. Both the Phoenicians - between the 8th and 5th centuries BC - and the Carthaginians - in the 3rd century BC - kept on worshipping the goddess of love. They even enhanced the myth (for them it was Astarte, the Phoenician goddess of love and lust) and fortified the site, building a wall to the west that is still standing in some parts.
Then there were the Syracusans (4th century BC) and other Greek populations (third century BC), but the Carthaginians, after years of battles and assaults, managed to regain their holy city. They defended it for a long time against the Romans during the Punic War, which ended with the victory of the Roman Lutetium Catulus.
The inhabitants of Rome, however, had very different aims, and did not care much about Erice. Although they kept the temple dedicated to Venus Ericina, they slowly left the city that began its first period of decline. The Arab historian Idrisi, in the 11th century AD, describes Erice as "a huge mountain, with a superb peak and high pinnacles... At the top of it lies a flat area to be sown, water abounds there..."
Indeed Erice disappears from written documents until the Arabs conquer Sicily: they named the name Jebel al-Hamed, left written testimony of its beautiful landscapes as well as of its strategically important position in Sicily. Ibn Jubayr, a Spanish-Arab traveler, in 1185 describes a town connected to to a Norman castle through a bridge, inhabited by Christians. This is the town that was rebuilt by the Norman King Roger II on the ancient Erice: its name was then changed to Monte San Giuliano, a name it kept until 1936.
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Clicking on a thumbnail you can see the video in detail. All videos are freely taken from the web (youtube.com). On recommendation, we will remove the link to the video with copyright.
Amateur video on the town of Erice
Further information
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On holiday in Erice, discover what awaits you
TrapaniGate.it is also a guide to the best location in Trapani, with lots of useful information on the history, monuments, routes, etc.. Here you can find all the tips on what to see and what to do in Erice, photos and videos, information on the distance from Trapani airport, etc..
NOTE: to read the contents of each tab, click on READ MORE.
Erice, myth and history: one of the most beautiful and picturesque villages throughout Italy
At the end of the winding road that from Trapani climbs the slopes of Mount San Giuliano, among breathtaking views that suddenly appear behind the bends, you will reached the... Read more »
Erice's Norman Castle, once the Temple of Venus
The Norman Castle of Erice (better known as the Castle of Venus) stands where once stood the Temple-shrine to the goddess Venus (before that, the same deity was called and worshiped... Read more »
Erice: ATTRACTIONS
Choose where to sleep in Erice, many solutions for your holiday in Sicily
TrapaniGate.it offers you a selection of the best accommodation, hotels, bed and breakfast, residence, bed & breakfasts, holiday house, etc.. Thanks to the interactive map on the right you can refine your search by specifying the type of interest. After checking the availability you can use the online booking system for confirmation, without making any payment (credit card details as a guarantee). For some accommodation, you can send a non binding request for information.
ACCOMMODATIONS IN Erice
NOTE: For all the details on the accommodation of interest, click on "continue". Within the dedicated page, you can check availability and make a reservation
Brezza di Grecale - Holiday Lettings - ***Via Lungomare Dante Alighieri, 34 - Casasanta (91016) Erice - view on the map
Brezza di Grecale residence is located in front of San Giuliano beach, just few minutes away from Trapani historical centre and from the cable way station to Erice top....
Further information »ACCOMMODATION IN TRAPANI
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Erice, myth and history: one of the most beautiful and picturesque villages throughout Italy on the map
Erice, myth and history: one of the most beautiful and picturesque villages throughout Italy
Events and activities
Erice's Medieval Pageant
Erice - da Monday, August 27, 2012 a Sunday, September 02, 2012
In the last week in August Erice celebrates its holy patroness "Our Lady of Custonaci". The tradition involves the setting up of votive altars in Erice's typical courtyards, the procession of... Read more »
Cous Cous Fest 2012
San Vito Lo Capo - da Tuesday, September 25, 2012 a Sunday, September 30, 2012
In 2012 the Cous Cous Fest celebrates fifteen years “Making Couscous, not War”. It is a culinary contest for countries in the Euro-Mediterranean area and beyond, taking a cue from the... Read more »
How to get around
SHUTTLES TO/FROM AIRPORT
Fill in the following fields and send the request to get information on or to book the transfer service to/from the airport.The arranged, authorized companies will offer you their best deal.
BUSES
Get to Trapani (historic centre and harbour), Marsala, Palermo travelling by the following bus service companies: AST, Salemi, Lumia and Terravision.
Travel Blog
About Trapani Airport - Article from the site avionews.it
Thursday, August 25, 2011
AVIONEWS - WAPANews Date: 25-Aug-2011 15:53Category: AirportsNATO goes to war and the Sicilians pay: the emblematic case of the airport of TrapaniRome, Italy - The... Read more »
The traffic data for the month of July 2011
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
In July 2011, the average decline of passenger movements stabilizes at around -23% and -24%. The statistics confirm the trend related to the necessary restrictions imposed... Read more »
Weather forecast in Erice
| Min | Max | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon |  | 59° F | 72° F | |
| Tue | | 59° F | 70° F | |
| Wed |  | 61° F | 70° F |
Info & customer care
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