It was precisely of the cult of fertility and love that marked Erice, famous in antiquity for its shrine atop the mountain, to wich sailors turned. It was that of Astarte for the Carthaginians, Aphrodite for the Greeks, Venus Erycina for the Romans: a beacon in the whole Mediterranean, the temple of the Goddess was perhaps founded by Æneas, or perhaps by Dedalus, or perhaps by the local king Eryx, the son of Aphrodite, who challenged Heracles, who happened to be passing through there, and was killed by him. There is no trace now of this temple; according to Diodorus, it stood on the ancient acropolis where in the 13th century the Norman castle was built. You get to it through the Balio gardens, an amazing scenic road high over the sea. You can walk on the flat area around the magnificent fortress, often beaten by misty waves that thicken and thin as softly as suddenly. An Elymian city, and then under Carthaginian influence, Erice was so rich that in 415 BC Segesta borrowed its gold and silver cups to impress the Athenian envoys whom they were asking for help against Syracuse. Destroyed during the First Punic War by the Carthaginians, who transferred its inhabitants to Drepanon (Trapani), Erice was conquered by Rome in 248 BC. Perhaps at the time it was a heap of ruins, but the temple of the goddess came to life again with renewed splendour thanks to the victors. Erice is a town of exceptional historical and artistic interest. Its chief features are its paved streets, its particular town-planning, created by the practical needs of the population who had to live in a narrow triangular shaped sloping territory. Its tortuous narrow streets, its even narrower alleys, had to protect the town from strong winds and from its enemies. A part from the streets, its courtyards, almost always full of flowers, plants and evergreen trees, represent another typical aspect of the town. Their function was and still is to give space, fresh air and life to the Erician family. Amon the monuments of historical interest are Venus’ Castle, Pepoli Castle, the Towers of the Balio, the beautiful old Churches. (English extract by “Civiltà antiche” e “Erice”, Azienda Provinciale Turismo Trapani) |
