Selinunte

Introducing Selinunte

The ruins of Selinunte are the most impressively sited ruins in Sicily. Try to visit in spring when the surroundings are ablaze with purple, yellow and white wildflowers. The huge city was built in 628 BC on a promontory overlooking the sea, and for two-and-a-half centuries it was one of the richest and most powerful in the world. It was destroyed by the Carthaginians in 409 BC and finally fell to the Romans in about 350 BC, at which time it went into rapid decline and disappeared from historical accounts.

The city’s past is so remote that the names of the various temples have been forgotten and they are now identified by the letters A to G, M and O. The most impressive, Temple E, has been partially rebuilt, its columns pieced together from their fragments with part of its tympanum. Many of the carvings, particularly from Temple C, are now on display in the archaeological museum in Palermo. Their quality is on a par with the Parthenon marbles and clearly demonstrates the high cultural levels reached by many Greek colonies in Sicily.

No visit to Selinunte is complete without a walk along the beach below the city, from where there are marvellous views of the temples. The road down is to the left of the parking area adjacent to Temple C.

The ticket office (0924 4 62 51; adult/concession/child €6/3/free; 9am-1hr before sunset Mon-Sat, 9am-noon & 3-6pm Sun) is located near the eastern temples. Just within the site you can join a tour on an electric cart (half-hour/two hours €3 to €15) to tour the enormous site.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009