t Torretta Pepoli, perched on a cliffside beneath Castello di Venere
The splendid town of Erice, perched on top of Monte San Giuliano, has ancient origins, as is shown by the cult of the goddess of fertility, Venus Erycina. Laid out on a triangular plan, the town has preserved its medieval character, with fine city walls, beautifully paved streets, stone houses with decorated doorways, small squares and open spaces with numerous churches, many of which have become venues for scientific and cultural activities.
t Torretta Pepoli, perched on a cliffside beneath Castello di Venere
EXPERIENCE The Egadi Islands and the Northwest
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These defensive walls extend for some 700 m (2,296 ft) on the northern side of the town, from Porta Spada to Porta Trapani.
The lower Cyclopean Walls, made up of megalithic blocks of stone, date back to around 800 BC and were likely built by the Elymians, an ancient Sicilian civilization. The Phoenician letters beth (house), ain (eye) and phe (mouth) are carved into some areas of the stone. This is thought to be a warning to invaders, roughly meaning “These walls are a safe house, with eyes to see attackers and a mouth to eat them.” The upper parts of the walls and the gates were built by the Normans. The Porta Spada gate owes its name to the massacre of the local Angevin rulers during the 1282 Sicilian Vespers (spada means sword).
Nearby are Sant’Antonio Abate and Sant’Orsola. The latter houses the fine 18th-century Misteri or “Mysteries”, sculptures representing the Passion of Christ, borne in procession on Good Friday.
Experience The Egadi Islands and the Northwest
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Shop Antichi Intrecci Ericini carpets are still woven by women in their homes and sold from shops and boutiques along the main street of town. These artisans are one of the few still producing the vivid rugs. ⌂ Via Piano Neve, Buseto Palizzolo ¢ Sun ∑ antichintrecci.it |
The fortified Chiesa Matrice (Mother Church) was built in 1314 and is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. The austere Romanesque façade has a portico with pointed arches surmounted by a beautiful rose window; this faces a detached bell tower with double lancet windows, which was originally built as a lookout tower during the War of the Vespers. The interior was dramatically restored in 1865, and little remains of its original look.
This Norman castle was built on an isolated rock over the ruins of the Temple of Venus Erycina. Entrance is gained via a tower, the only remaining original part of the castle, which was used as a prison and watchtower. Above the entrance is a plaque with the coat of arms of the Spanish Habsburgs, crowned by a 14th-century double lancet window. Inside are a sacred well and the ruins of the Temple of Venus Erycina, a Phoenician house and a Roman bath.
The castle is the starting point of a system of fortifications including the Torri del Balio, formerly the headquarters of the Norman governor. Further down is the Torretta Pepoli, built as a hunting lodge in 1872–80 and one of the symbols of Erice.
Having been reinvented as a “political-cultural” destination, it now houses an interactive multimedia museum. In front of the castle are the 19th-century public gardens, Giardini del Balio, which link this zone with the eastern side of Erice.
GREAT VIEW
From Castello di Venere’s perch on lofty Monte San Giuliano you’ll experience sweeping vistas of the craggy Egadi Islands, the sprawling town of Trapani and, on a clear day, a glimpse of the Tunisian coast in North Africa.
The corso (main street) in Erice begins at Porta Trapani, one of the three gates through the massive city walls, and goes uphill. The street is lined with Baroque patrician houses and tempting pastry shops selling local specialities.
To the left is San Salvatore, which once had a monastery annexe and boasts a 15th-century portal. At the end of the corso, formerly called Via Regia, is Piazza Umberto I, redesigned in the 19th century, and the Palazzo del Municipio (Town Hall), which houses the Polo Museale A. Cordici.
t Porta Trapani opening onto the winding Corso Vittorio Emanuele
Housed in the former convent of the Third Order of Saint Francis, the Museo Antonino Cordici holds one of Renaissance sculptor Antonello Gagini’s (1478–1536) most important works, the Annunciation completed in 1525. Along with the civic museum’s vast display of classic paintings, statues, decorative arts, weapons and vases, you can admire its interesting collection of archeological artifacts, including stone inscriptions from the Punic, Greek and Roman periods, and a marble head of Aphrodite that dates back to the 4th century BC.
This street, with its noble palazzi, connects Corso Vittorio Emanuele with the castle area. Immediately to the left is San Martino, a Norman church with a Baroque portal and interior, as well as a fine 17th-century wooden choir. The sacristy takes you to the Oratorio dei Confrati del Purgatorio, built in the Rococo style, with a carved altar decorated with gilded stucco.
Further along the street is San Giuliano, which looks over a square made more spectacular by the pink façades of the buildings set around it. The church was begun in 1080 by Roger I but was radically altered in the 1600s. It was closed when the vault caved in on the central section of the nave; now restored, the church is used as a cultural and artistic centre.
Genovesi ericine, a dome-shaped pastry filled with ricotta, was inspired by hats worn by Genovese sailors.
Founded in the 14th century in the middle of Erice, this church was rebuilt in 1745 and a fine Baroque portal added. The nearby convent is now one of the bases for the Polo Museale A. Cordici. This centre, founded in the early 1960s to honour the brilliant Sicilian scientist Ettore Majorana who disappeared in mysterious circumstances before World War II, runs courses and conferences on subjects ranging from medicine to mathematical logic. The centre makes use of abandoned buildings such as the former convents of San Domenico, San Francesco and San Rocco.
t Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista, perched on a cliff overlooking the sea
This white-domed church is the largest and probably the oldest in Erice, despite the many alterations that have changed its appearance. The last refurbishing phase took place in the 1600s, when the nave was totally rebuilt.
The church is now used only as an auditorium, but several interesting works of art remain. These include the statue of St John the Baptist by Antonio Gagini, who came from a family of sculptors and whose work is generally accepted to be the first example of Renaissance art in Sicily. The 14th-century frescoes come from the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena.
Experience The Egadi Islands and the Northwest
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EAT Monte San Giuliano Make your way up ancient steps and through a medieval arch to discover this scenic restaurant serving classic Sicilian dishes. ⌂ Vicolo San Rocco 7, Fulgatore/Erice ¢ Mon # montesangiuliano.it ¡¡¡ |