Selinunte

About Selinunte - presentation, information, photos and recommendations

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Upon entering the archaeological park, the first view you see is the grandest. The large Doric temple, known as the E Temple, was rebuilt in the 1950s and stands proudly growing. It is an impressive evocation of Sicily's Greek past and, unusually, visitors can climb the temple itself to understand the true grandeur and history of the building.
Behind Temple E are two more temples - this down hill would have been a sacred site outside the city center. These temples are much more ruinous. The farthest from the entrance, Temple G, was an extremely ambitious project that may never have been completed. It would have been one of the largest temples in the ancient world, and the masonry wall is still impressive today. Clambering between sections of the column is a memorable experience - it's interesting to get an idea of ​​Greek construction techniques from carved stone blocks, marvel at the scale and ambition of the building and the strength of its final destruction, at the hands of the Carthaginian conquerors and subsequent earthquakes. .
From this part of the eastern part of the site, visitors cross a shallow valley where Selinunte harbor once stood and climb into the heart of the city on another low hill. The Acropolis and several temples (one partially reconstructed) were located in this part of the city; the oldest part of Selinunte to be built and also the last inhabited by the survivors of the Carthaginian siege. In its principal days, the main residential areas of the city covered the interior lands from this hilltop; parts of the street have been excavated, although the ruins are not as striking as those in the main cluster of the hill.
On the western hill is a small museum that displays discoveries on the site and helps to give you an idea of ​​how the temples - brightly painted and decorated - looked. Unfortunately, the best portable remains, including the metopes - sculpture panels from the temple frieze - are now in the archaeological museum in Palermo, which is likely to be closed for restoration until at least 2012
Marinella di Selinunte
Outside the entrance to the Selinunte archaeological park is the seaside village Marinella, also called Marinella di Selinunte, where the locals make their living from fishing. Its sandy beaches and convenient location make it an attractive place for tourists.
Castelvetrano is a busy and typical Sicilian city, which most travelers will only see on the way to Selinunte. It has several historic buildings and a lively main street, full of shops. You can visit the city's museum (Museo Civico) to see Efebo di Selinunte, a Greek bronze statue from the fifth century of a youth.
The Cusa Cave where the quarries used by the ancient Greeks of Selinus are found to provide the stone for the construction of the city's temples, you can see great sections of stone columns, then cut down. The Cave di Cusa site is located south of the town of Campobello di Mazara.
Selinunte's only public transport link is a bus from Castelvetrano, the closest city. This is a cheap and easy trip, but you will need to plan ahead. To find the timetable, see the section "urban routes" on the website of the Salemi bus, indicated in the links panel on the right and find the timetable for Marinella di Selinunte service. Please note that some services run from Monday to Saturday (weekdays) and others run on Sundays and holidays (holidays). The bus stops just outside the train station in Castelvetrano, where there is a cafe that offers basic tourist information and a luggage storage service. The bus ride takes about half an hour and stops very close to the entrance to the archaeological site of Selinunte.
You can reach Castelvetrano by train; it is on the line that starts from Trapani (one hour away) and also stops at Marsala and Mazara del Vallo before reaching Castelvetrano. Trains continue to Palermo. There is also a useful bus service, operated by a company called Lumia, which connects Castelvetrano with other cities in this area, including Sciacca and Agrigento. Salemi buses make the connection between Castelvetrano and Marsala and Palermo.
There is also a car park outside the archaeological site of Selinunte.

Selinunte | Selinunte is one of the great Greek archeological sites in Sicily that contains five temples centered on an acropolis. Of the five temples, only the Hera Temple, also known as the "E Temple", was rebuilt

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