Erice, the only Sicilian town that has been inhabited since pre-history, sits 800 metres above sea…read morelevel on a small peak near the coastal town of Trapani. Looking to the West, you can see Trapani and the saltpans, and to the East, the rugged coastline of Northern Sicily.
The oldest structure in the town is the protective thick boundary wall which dates back to Punic times. Since then, the town has been home to the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Greeks and the Romans, the Arabs, and the Normans.
It has been an important strategic spot for many nations, due mainly to the harbour below and the difficulty in mounting any attack against the town because of its position on top of the hill. The Normans built a huge castle on the peak which improved the defences and now offers views worth the climb.
Although the village is small in size, between the 12th and 17th Centuries more that 60 churches were built in and around Erice. The cathedral, constructed in the 14th Century, has a magnificent front portal and a separate Gothic style bell tower which stands a few metres from the entrance.
Erice is cobbled streets, arched passageways, narrow laneways, cool breezes, stunning views, and lovely sunsets over the Western Mediterranean. Here you can get away from the noise, filth, decay and pollution that unfortunately characterises many Sicilian towns and cities.
