Erice, located on high ground overlooking the northern coast of western Sicily, ancient was a prosperous Elimi city, Eryx, famous for its temple to a fertility goddess, Astarte, later identified with Venus and worshipped by the Romans. The city owes its name to Eryx, mythical ruler of the Elimi. Hercules and Aeneas are also associated with ancient Erice. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans, in turn, conquered the city, which never developed a particularly strong Greek culture except for that of the medieval Byzantines of the Eastern Roman Empire. To the Saracens, Erice was an important foothold known as Gebel Hamed, which the Normans christened Monte San Giuliano, a name by which it was known until 1934, when it was given its older Latin nomenclature. With its delightful medieval ambience and splendid location, Erice is an interesting town popular with travelers, almost something of a western Sicilian Taormina. There are some ancient Elimi and Phoenician walls around the northeastern side of the city, and two castles, Pepoli Castle, with foundations dating from Saracen times, and Venus Castle, dating from the Norman era but built on ruins of the ancient Temple of Venus. Surrounded by a lush park, the hilltop castles alone are worth a stop in Erice, which offers charming old stone streets and medieval churches. Pepoli Castle was at first a feudal stronghold, though Erice was eventually ceded to the Crown as a demesnial city. The view from the castle towers is stupendous. Though both castles have been modified somewhat over the centuries, they still have that distinctively medieval character one expects of such fortresses. The beautiful Mother Church, on Via Carvini, is essentially a 14th century Gothic structure whose style reflects certain Romanesque influences. An older tower stands at the entrance, and the church itself was built upon a much older structure. The medieval Church of Saint John the Baptist was modified in recent centuries but still retains something of its original style, especially its exterior. It was built as an Orthodox chapel. The fifteenth century Church of Saint Ursula, which also retains some medieval Gothic elements, is worth a visit. The trek to Erice from nearby Trapani will take you several miles up winding roads, but it's well worth the trip. The Cordici Civic Museum in Piazza Umberto I houses some interesting finds from the area. Its Carthaginian ("Punic") collection is remarkable, but the Greek and Roman pieces are also interesting.

 

For Visitors: There are some good restaurants in Erice, which makes a pleasant stop on the way to Trapani, Marsala and Favignana. Couscous with fish is a local specialty.