Erice

If you want to jump back in time, Erice, with its charming atmosphere will not disappoint you ...

There is a place where you can take a leap back in time: Erice, a small medieval village on the top of the mountain of the same name, whose roots are deep in myth.
Its thousand-year history can be felt at every step, every corner of the town arouses emotions.
The beauty of Erice should be savored slowly. Take your time and let your instinct guide you, lose yourself in its elegantly paved streets... but if you want to know the first ten things to see, follow us...

Duomo di Erice
Cathedral of Erice

1 Cathedral and Tower of King Frederick

The Cathedral was built in 1312 by Frederick III of Aragon before returning to Palermo, as a thank you to the city that had hosted him in a moment of political crisis. For its construction, material from the Temple of Venus was also used, in fact on the external wall, on the south side of the church, you can admire the nine stone panels, in the shape of a cross, from the temple.

Inside, the church is dazzlingly beautiful, covered in pure white lace in neo-Gothic style. The façade was later completed with an elegant rose window and a splendid portico.
Next to it stands the Tower of King Frederick , probably built on an ancient military watchtower from the Punic period. Climbing its 110 steps to admire Erice from above will be a little effort, but rewarded by an exciting spectacle!

testina di Venere
Venus's head

2 Cordici Museum

The Town Hall and several noble palaces overlook Piazza Umberto I. The Town Hall houses the precious Cordici Museum where there is a splendid head of Venus from the 6th century BC. Take a break in this suggestive corner of the town, give yourself a few minutes to enjoy the medieval atmosphere of the place.

Venere castle
Castle of Venus

3 Venus Castle

The Castle stands on the same site where in ancient times there was a sanctuary dedicated to the female deity of fertility. A place of worship that in ancient times attracted people from all over the Mediterranean. Over the centuries the cult remained the same, while the female name of the goddess changed: at the time of the Phoenicians Astarte was worshipped, with the Greeks Aphrodite and then with the Romans it was moved to the cult of Venus.
And it was with the arrival of the Norman Catholics that the goddesses were replaced by the Christian cult of the Virgin Mary.
On the remains of the ancient sanctuary the Normans built a fortress-castle that still today leaves you breathless with its beauty.

Torretta Pepoli
Torretta Pepoli

4 Pepoli Tower

It was Count Agostino Pepoli, patron and scholar, who had this splendid building erected in 1870. The perfect location to devote himself to his studies and meetings with other men of culture of the time. The Liberty-style tower is spread over four levels and its elegance is accentuated by the extraordinary panorama that frames it.

Balio garden
Balio Gardens

5 Balio Gardens

Walking through the streets of the village you will suddenly find yourself inside a beautiful garden. You will have the feeling of having crossed a border without realizing it. The avenues of the Balio, in a sort of embrace that makes this place unique, intertwine with the streets, courtyards and ramps that make up the urban fabric of the medieval village. Railings, cast iron street lamps, small fountains and marble stems decorate and mix with the thick undergrowth of shrubs and hedges creating an elegant and relaxing environment.

Mura ciclopiche
Cyclopean walls

6 The Cyclopean Walls

The Elymian-Punic Walls, built by the ancient Elymians to defend Erice between the 7th and 6th centuries BC and later implemented by the Phoenicians, truly deserve this name. The wall starts from Porta Trapani and reaches Porta Spada and is composed of square-shaped megaliths that can weigh up to several tons. On some rocks, the engraving of some letters of the Phoenician alphabet is still visible.
Following the path of the Walls you will find yourself walking inside the beautiful pine forest of Erice. A curiosity: the walls are called "cyclopean" because the Phoenicians used to employ as workers a nearby population, particularly robust: the Cyclops.

Pasticceria Ericina
Ericina Pastry Shop

7 Pastry Shops

Beautiful as jewels, they are displayed in shop windows like precious objects of desire…we are talking about the Erice pastry shop, unique in its kind, but much imitated throughout the island.
The scents of almonds, sugar and honey fill the air, but the recipes for these little treasure chests, full of goodness, are absolutely secret. It is impossible to resist the Genovesi, the most typical of Erice's sweets, a delicious milk cream wrapped in a delicate shortcrust pastry, the ones made by Maria Grammatico and Pasticceria San Carlo are much loved.

Erice craftsmanship
Erice Crafts

8 Crafts

Carpets with magnificent geometric patterns, ceramics with dazzling colors, lace and embroidery made by skilled hands, this and much more can be found in the artisan workshops of the village. Following the objects displayed on the stone walls you might come across some craftsman at work in his workshop, a wonderful opportunity to admire their mastery.

Spanish neighborhood
Spanish Quarter

9 Spanish Quarter

The Spanish Quarter (17th century) is an interesting military structure in stone built on a large rocky platform. Enjoy the magnificent view of the Gulf of Bonagia and Monte Cofano and, if the air is clear, you can even see the plain of San Vito Lo Capo. Originally the building was a barracks for the soldiers stationed to guard Erice, today it houses in its rooms a small Museum dedicated to ancient crafts.

Church of Sant'Orsola
Church of St. Orsola

10 Church of St. Orsola

This small church from 1413, also called the Addolorata, is located near Porta Spada next to the Cyclopean Walls. The church, preceded by a courtyard, has a simple and linear façade while inside it has a structure that is the sum of two churches: the first, in Catalan Gothic, from 1413, in honor of Saint Ursula; the second, in Renaissance style, from 1451, in honor of Saint Mary of Jesus. The floor has parts in majolica made in the 16th century by craftsmen from Trapani. The statue of Saint Mary, by Francesco Laurana, is beautiful.

Prenota il tuo alloggio ad Erice

 
Chosen for you