< 1 day
On foot
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History
Selinunte (Ancient Greek: Σελῑνοῦς) was a rich and extensive ancient Greek city on the south-western coast of Sicily, in Italy. It was situated between the valleys of the Cottone and Modione rivers. It now lies in the comune Castelvetrano, between the fractions of Triscina di Selinunte in the west and Marinella di Selinunte in the east.
The archaeological site contains many great temples, the earliest dating from 550 BC, with five centered on an acropolis.
At its peak, before 409 BC the city may have had 30,000 inhabitants, excluding slaves. It was destroyed and abandoned in 250 BC and never reoccupied.
Today, Selinunte is the biggest archeological site in Europe (it has an extension of about 270 hectares).
Photo of the Selinunte Archaeological Park, by Antonio Sessa on Unsplash
In the archaeological site, on the acropolis, there are some temples along with other secondary constructions, while other temples are located on a nearby hill. The sculptures found in the Selinunte excavations are found mainly in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Palermo; the most famous work is an exception, the Efebo di Selinunte, which is now exhibited at the civic museum of Castelvetrano.
Selinunte has several areas:
The Acropoli is a limestone plateau overlooking the sea to the south. The remains of numerous Doric temples have been found on the Acropolis hill: Temple A and Temple O were built between 490 and 460 BC; Temple B, from the Hellenistic period, probably around 250 BC; Temple C is the oldest in this area, dating back to 550 BC; Temple D dates back to 540 BC; Temple Y, also known as the "Temple of the small metopes", preceded by a square altar. The metopes found are datable to 570 BC.
Photo of the Acropolis, by Enzo Lagana' on Pexels
The Selinunte Archaeological Park was also the stage for various events, including the Google Camps.
Attractions
Beside the archeological park, Selinunte is famous for the fish, too.
Archaeological park
North of the acropolis, on the hill of Manuzza, the modern road (road 6) traces the boundary of an area of roughly trapezoidal shape in which it is assumed that the Agora should also be found. To the north, beyond the inhabited area, there are two necropolises: that of Manuzza and the older one (VII-VI century BC) in the locality of Galera-Bagliazzo;
On the eastern hill there are three temples which, although arranged along the same north-south axis, nevertheless do not seem to have a single sacred enclosure (temenos), as evidenced by the separation wall existing between Temple E and Temple F: The Temple E, the most recent of the three, dates back to 460-450 BC; Temple F, the oldest but also the smallest of the three, was built between 550 and 540 BC. on the model of Temple C; Temple G is the largest in Selinunte (length 113.34 m; width 54.05 m; height approximately 30 m) and one of the largest in the Greek world. Its construction, although it lasted from 530 to 409 BC.;
Photo of the Temple E, by Freysteinn G. Jonsson on Unsplash
Photo of the Temple F, by Antonio Sessa on Unsplash
Photo of the Temple G, by pjt56 on Wikipedia
Some areas used as necropolis can be identified around Selinunte: Buffa (end of the 7th and 6th centuries BC); Galera Bagliazzo (from the 6th century BC); Pipio Bresciana e Manicalunga Timpone Nero (6th - 5th century BC), the largest necropolis of Selinunte.
Cave di Cusa
The Cave di Cusa, characterized by limestone banks, is located in Campobello di Mazara, 13 km from Selinunte. These are the stone quarries from which the material for Selinunte constructions was extracted. The most significant element that can be seen is the abrupt interruption of the extraction, processing, and transport of the column drums, due to the threat that loomed over the city in 409 BC for the sudden arrival of the Carthaginian army. The sudden escape of the quarrymen, stonecutters, and workers, has meant that all the various stages of processing today can not only be recognized but also followed: from the first deep circular incisions, up to the finished drums that were only waiting to be transported away.
Photo of the Cave di Cusa, by Bjs on Wikipedia
Incantu
The incantu is what the inhabitants of Marinella di Selinunte, in the Trapani area, call the "show" that takes place every morning in the fish market in Piazza Empedocle. In the small structure, founded over sixty years ago and today managed by a cooperative of 52 local fishermen, the Selinunte Pesca, starting from 8 am the fish auction is held, not a simple sale of seafood, but a real and its own theater in which the main actors are the sounds, the colors, the warmth of Sicily.
Other information about the Incantu are in the Tips section.
Food
If you want to taste local food while in Selinunte, here are some advises:
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Ristorante Regina, is an elegant contemporary restaurant, where you can have local fish and traditional dishes;
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Ristorante Boomerang, it’s a traditional restaurant where you can have local fresh fish;
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La Pineta, like the previous one, is a typical “spartan” restaurant, where you can have fresh fish.
Tips
Parking
Marinella di Selinunte is a very small town, therefore easily accessible on foot. Our advice is to leave your car at the free car park shown on the map below and walk around the center on foot.
Visit the Archaeological Park
As regards the Archaeological Park, opening hours vary according to the months of the year.
To follow the updates click on the button:
If you have flexible hours, during the period in which you will visit the park, the advice is to choose the morning or sunset, moments of the day in which the views will be at their most beautiful.
Information about the Incantu
As regards the Incantu, it is possible not only to attend but also to participate in the fish auction. Usually, the event takes place every day from 8:30 am to 9:45 am. One of the reasons for such a short shelf life is that the fish sells very quickly, so if you plan to buy it, hurry.