Erice, Sicily

August 24, 2010



Trapani

Pepoli Castle



Erice, Sicily

Looming over the city of Trapani is Mount Erice, a commanding presence that rises to a height of over 750 meters that is home to the ancient city of Erice. The city is accessible either by a winding mountain road or by a cable car that takes visitors up the mountain side in a fairly straight shot. The amazing historic city is worth a full day visit, so I decided against going out on the boat one day, opting to take the cable car up to Erice instead.







The mountain is often clouded in fog, even when the surrounding area is in full sunlight, but I was fortunate to have a relatively clear day that offered me the opportunity to take advantage of the spectacular views of Trapani and the beaches of San Vito Lo Capo. The cable car ride up takes about 20 minutes and drops you off into a scene that takes you back thousands of years, with the city still seeming to be stuck in the middle ages.

King Frederick's Tower



The city is full of castles, cathedrals, stone walls and narrow cobbled streets. Almost every building seems to have some major historical significance, which is not surprising considering the long and rich history of the city. The city was known as Eryx in ancient times and was a prosperous Elymian and Carthaginian city dating to around 1200 BC. The city was in turn conquered and occupied by in turn, the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and Normans who named the city Monte San Giuliano, which was the name until 1934 when the name was reverted to its original Latin name.







The city features ancient Elymian and Phoenician walls and two large castles, Pepoli Castle and Venus Castle dating to Norman times. There are also numerous medieval churches and monasteries located in Erice and they are all open to the public. Upon arrival, I purchased a pass that offered admission to the majority of historical sites and museums beginning with King Frederick’s Tower and the Royal Church, which are just across from the cable car station.





It was a beautiful perfect day for a friendly walk around Erice and I took full advantage of the weather to enjoy the views and the beautiful streets of the city. The city is well-known for its famous ceramics and pottery and the small streets are lined with small galleries which offer examples for sale. One of the few items that I purchased was from a talented potter at a place called Ceart pottery. I got into a good conversation with the artist and learned that he has a blog of his own on blogspot, which I have linked below.







The place is also full of charming and delightful restaurants and cafes, as well as the requisite touristy shops that sell everything from the aforementioned pottery to all manner of trinkets, hats, rugs, wine, and delicious Sicilian food stuffs. It was a shopper’s paradise.









The churches and castles are all amazing, beautiful and full of ancient historic relics and treasures which are on display. I was most impressed by the incredible wax models created by the Carmelite nuns in the early 1800s, they are amazing intricate and well preserved. They are on display at San Giuliano’s Church as are the amazing “Misteri”, large wood carved statues of the stations of the cross.





Religious and historical relics of all sorts can be found throughout Erice which features stunning examples of architecture and history from any number of ancient periods, making for a fascinating historical journey all in a relatively concentrated space





Erice Artist Blog