Monte Erice, or ancient Greek Mount Eryx, is a mountain of Sicily, in the

province of Trapani The province of Trapani (; ; officially ''libero consorzio comunale di Trapani'') is a Provinces of Italy, province in the autonomous island region of Sicily, Italy. Following the suppression of the Sicilian provinces, it was replaced in 2015 by ...

Location

The mountain is to the east of

Trapani Trapani ( ; ; ) is a city and municipality (''comune'') with 54,887 inhabitants, on the west coast of Sicily, in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an important fishing port and the mai ...

and encompasses an area of 18.3 km². The Lenzi River has its source on the mountain. The city of

Erice Erice (; ) is a (municipality) contiguous with the provincial capital Trapani, in western Sicily. Its historic core occupies the site of the ancient city of Eryx, one of the most significant archaeological and religious centres in pre-Roman w ...

is located on the summit, the

frazione A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...

of Santa Casa, Erice and the suburbs of Trapani are located on the western slopes, and the

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

of Valderice is on the eastern side of the mountain.

Geography

The mountain is covered by vegetation: there is a forest of

Aleppo pine ''Pinus halepensis'', commonly known as the Aleppo pine, also known as the Jerusalem pine, is a pine native to the Mediterranean region. It was officially named by the botanist Philip Miller in his 1768 book ''The Gardener's Dictionary''; he pro ...

around Martogna,

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

in the state forest of Sant'Anna, as well as holm oak and

downy oak ''Quercus pubescens'' (synonyms ''virgiliana''), commonly known as the downy oak, pubescent oak or Italian oak, is a species of white oak (genus ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'') native to southern Europe and southwest Asia. It is found from northe ...

in the Costa Spada area. There are numerous hiking trails. Four of these are officially marked by the

Club Alpino Italiano The Club Alpino Italiano is the senior Italian alpine club which stages climbing competitions, operates alpine huts, marks and maintains paths, and is active in protecting the Alpine environment. It was founded in Turin in 1863 by the then fin ...

(CAI), connecting the historic centre of Erice with surrounding forests, chapels, and panoramic overlooks: * Sentiero Demanio Forestale San Matteo (CAI 604) – A 6.9 km moderate trail descending from Erice’s Chiesa Matrice to the Sicilian Forestry Corps Museum, passing medieval sites, pine forests, and agro-forestry landscapes with interpretive features. * Sentiero Torretta Pepoli (CAI 601A) – A 2.7 km shaded woodland path through the Bosco dei Runzi, offering views of the

Castle of Venus Castle of Venus (Italian: ''Castello di Venere'') is a medieval fortress in Erice, built around the site of an ancient sanctuary of Venus Erycina at the summit of Monte Erice in western Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), o ...

and

Balio Towers ''Scorpion'' is an American drama television series developed by Nick Santora for CBS. The series premiered on September 22, 2014, and is loosely based on the life of self-proclaimed genius and computer expert Walter O'Brien. The series follows W ...

; rich in birdlife and Mediterranean flora. * Sentiero Porta Castellammare – Tre Chiese (CAI 602) – A 4.5 km scenic loop from Erice’s eastern gate past wild orchid groves, coastal viewpoints, and rural chapels, blending nature and local religious heritage. * Sentiero di Sant’Anna (CAI 601) – A 5.5 km descent from Porta Trapani to the Sant’Anna Sanctuary, passing wooded picnic areas, panoramic terraces, and historic pilgrimage sites, ending near the cable car station.

History

In ancient times the mountain was occupied by the

Elymians The Elymians () were an ancient tribe, tribal people who inhabited the western part of Sicily during the Bronze Age and Classical antiquity. Origins According to Thucydides, the Elymians were refugees coming from the destroyed Troy. Instead for ...

and subsequently by the

Carthaginians The Punic people, usually known as the Carthaginians (and sometimes as Western Phoenicians), were a Semitic people, Semitic people who Phoenician settlement of North Africa, migrated from Phoenicia to the Western Mediterranean during the Iron ...

, the Greeks, and the Romans, who worshipped Aphrodite Erycina, or Venus Erycina, there. In 1117 it was renamed as Monte San Giuliano by the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

, . The original name was restored in 1934. Until the 1950s the comune of Monte San Giuliano included the territory of the current commune of

, as well as Valderice,

Custonaci Custonaci ( Sicilian: ''Custunaci'') is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Trapani, north-Western Sicily, southern Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western E ...

San Vito Lo Capo San Vito Lo Capo () is a town and ''comune'' in North-Western Sicily, Italy, administratively part of the province of Trapani. The small town is located in a valley between mountains, and is home to a public beach that is destination of local vac ...

and

Buseto Palizzolo Buseto Palizzolo ( Sicilian: ''Palazzolu'') is a town and ''comune'' in North-Western Sicily, Italy, administratively part of the province of Trapani The province of Trapani (; ; officially ''libero consorzio comunale di Trapani'') is a Provin ...

. Since 1954, the Monte Erice

hillclimbing Hillclimbing, also known as hill climbing, speed hillclimbing, or speed hill climbing, is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course. It is one of the oldest forms of motorsport, since the firs ...

championship has taken place on its slopes every year.

References

External links

*{{cite web, url=http://www.regione.sicilia.it/presidenza/ucomrifiuti/acque/DOCUMENTI/DOCUMENTI_E/E3/TRAPANI/Monte%20Erice.pdf, author=Regional Government of Sicily, title=Corpo Idrico Sotterraneo: Monte Erice

Erice

Location

Geography

History

See also

References

External links