Erice

Erice Mount is at 751m above sea level and offers the most breathtaking views when is not covered in clouds. At the top of the Mount is a wonderfully preserved Mediaeval town with a fascinating history.

Originally an Elymian city (the Elymians were in this area before the Greeks) Erice, was an important town. It is said to have attracted the likes Hercules and Aeneas.

It passed from one invader to another, leaving their architectural and cultural footprints. The name changed from Eryx, to Erice to Gebel Hamed and Monte San Giuliano.

The two castles, Pepoli Castle and Venus Castle are amazing. The former was built by the Arabs. The latter was a Norman construction that derived its name from the fact that it was built on the site of the ancient Temple of Venus, founded by Aeneas.

In Erice you can visit sixty churches including the Gothic Chiesa Madre (1314) and the Mediaeval Church of Saint John the Baptist. The maze of cobbled Mediaeval streets wanders around the town and the views are stunning. On a cloudless day, the Egadi Islands off the coast of Trapani are visible. On the east side the panorama takes in vast swathes of eastern Sicily, the Tyrrhenian Sea and the coastline towards San Vito Lo Capo, Monte Cofano and the Gulf of Castellammare.

Erice hosts international scientific conferences and, every year, a congress dedicated to Astronomy.

The best way to get to Erice is by the cable car from Trapani down below.