| If you are looking for a European tourist | | | | in the Seventh Century B. C. This colony |
| destination, consider the island of Sicily, a region of | | | | prospered for hundreds of years until destroyed |
| southern Italy. Depending on your interests, this | | | | by the Carthaginians in 409 B. C. Thousands of its |
| beautiful area can be an ideal vacation spot. You | | | | inhabitants were slaughtered and most who |
| can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with | | | | weren't killed were enslaved. The city's seven |
| fine local wine. And parts of Sicily haven't yet | | | | temples were destroyed; only one has been |
| been discovered by tourists. This article presents | | | | restored but the ancient market has been |
| western Sicily. A companion article presents | | | | excavated. |
| eastern Sicily. Another companion article presents | | | | We end our tour of western Sicily at Agrigento, |
| Sicily's capital, Palermo. | | | | historic city and site of Valle dei Templi (Valley of |
| We'll start our western Sicilian tour in Monteale on | | | | the Temples) arguably the finest Greek ruins |
| the Tyrrhenian Sea just west of the capital of | | | | outside of Greece. The classic Greek poet Pindar |
| Palermo. We'll work our way east and south to | | | | called it "the most beautiful city built by mortal |
| the city of Marsala on the Mediterranean Sea, and | | | | men." Prepare your trip carefully, summers in this |
| then work our way southeast along the | | | | part of the world are very, very hot, and while |
| Mediterranean Sea to Agrigneto. | | | | you don't want to get sick, you don't want to |
| Monteale is a city of about thirty thousand | | | | rush through the site which contains several |
| inhabitants a few miles southwest of Sicily's capital | | | | buildings worth visiting. |
| Palermo. It is best known for its Duomo | | | | Each temple in the Valle dei Templi is unique. We'll |
| (Cathedral), like so many other Sicilian churches, a | | | | look briefly at five of them, going from west to |
| product of the Norman conquest. This Cathedral | | | | east. The Tempio di Castore e Polluce (Temple of |
| was built between 1174 and 1185. According to | | | | Castor and Pollux) is a bit of a mess. It was |
| many the Monteale Duomo is the finest example | | | | reconstructed well over one hundred years ago |
| of Norman architecture in all of Sicily, and believe | | | | by people who didn't know what they were doing. |
| me there are a lot of competitors. | | | | They slapped together elements from diverse |
| Would you believe that the interior of this | | | | ruins on the site. The Tempio di Giove (Temple of |
| magnificent building contains well over an acre of | | | | Jupiter) was never completed. At more than 330 |
| gold mosaics? Everywhere you look there is | | | | feet (about 130 meters) long it was one of the |
| plenty to see, for example, the bronze doors | | | | largest Greek temples ever built. The Tempio di |
| contain over forty biblical scenes, while the north | | | | Ercole (Temple of Hercules) is the oldest of these |
| door has over forty panels of evangelists and | | | | temples. It was partially reconstructed over eighty |
| saints. Make sure to visit the nearby cloister | | | | years ago. The Tempio della Concordia (Temple |
| surrounded by beautifully decorated glass mosaics. | | | | of Concord) is said to be the best-preserved |
| Finish your tour on the belvedere with its | | | | Greek temple on earth. It was converted into a |
| magnificent view of the Conca d'Oro (Golden | | | | Christian church in the Sixth Century and restored |
| Conch) Valley. | | | | in the Eighteenth Century. Everything is still there |
| The town of Erice, population under thirty | | | | except for the roof and the treasury. Not |
| thousand, is about a half mile above sea level. | | | | surprisingly, you are not allowed inside but you can |
| You'll love its two castles, Pepoli Castle dating | | | | appreciate it from a reasonable distance. The |
| from Saracen (Arabic) times and Venus Castle | | | | Tempio di Giunone (Temple of Juno) has an |
| dating from Norman times, built on what some | | | | exceptional view of the valley below. You can still |
| say was the most famous Greek temple | | | | see traces of a fire that occurred more than |
| dedicated to the goddess Venus. The city | | | | twenty-four hundred years ago. |
| contains the remains of walls from the days of | | | | Across from the Temple of Castor and Pollux are |
| the Phoenicians and the little known Elymians, | | | | several small temples that you may want to see |
| perhaps descendants of the Trojans. Erice is a | | | | as well. The Hellenistic and Roman Quarter |
| center for scientific conferences. Capo San Vito is | | | | consists of four really old streets with mosaic |
| a cape about twenty five miles (forty kilometers) | | | | pavements and some Roman house foundations. |
| northeast of Erice. It claims to have the most | | | | Right nearby is the Museo Archeologica Regionale |
| beautiful beach in all of Italy. Every September it | | | | (Regional Archeological Museum) with lots of |
| holds a five-day international competition for | | | | antiquities. |
| couscous, a North African semolina-based dish. | | | | What about food? Sicily's great food goes back |
| The abandoned city of Segesta, about an hour's | | | | as far as its beautiful buildings and ruins. Every |
| drive southwest of Sicily's capital Palermo, is home | | | | conquest, and there were several, brought new |
| to one of the best-preserved Greek Temples, | | | | foods to this island. Sometimes new foods such |
| built by Elymians under Greek rule around 430 B.C. | | | | as tomatoes made their way peacefully to Sicilian |
| Legend has it that they built the temple to | | | | tables. While it hasn't exactly taken over, organic |
| impress the Athenians of their wealth in order to | | | | food has made major inroads in Sicily. Of all the |
| enlist Athen'ss against a nearby city supported by | | | | Italian regions only the neighboring island of |
| Siracuse. Once Athen's envoys Segesta left work | | | | Sardinia produces more organic food. Certified |
| on the temple stopped. The temple remains | | | | Sicilian food products include olives, olive oil, |
| incomplete, but magnificent. Segesta also boasts | | | | cheese, tomatoes, oranges, table grapes (I prefer |
| the ruins of a Greek amphitheater that presents | | | | them fermented), and pears. |
| classic Greek theater (in Italian), a Norman castle, | | | | Let's suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start |
| and a small church. | | | | with Macco (Fava Bean puree). Then try Involtini |
| The city of Marsala, population approximately | | | | alla Siciliana (Meat Roulade stuffed with Salami and |
| eighty thousand, was the major Carthaginian base | | | | Cheese). For dessert indulge yourself with |
| in Sicily during its wars against Greece and Rome. | | | | Sgrappino (Whipped Lemon Sherbert with |
| The city name comes from Arabic for great port | | | | Spumante). Be sure to increase your dining |
| or Ali's port. Marsala played an important role in | | | | pleasure by including local wines with your meal. |
| Italian history as the landing point of Italian national | | | | We'll conclude with a quick look at Sicilian wine. |
| hero Garibaldi's one thousand red shirt combatants | | | | Sicily is number one among Italy's twenty regions |
| who fought for the reunification of Italy. | | | | when it comes to the acreage devoted to wine |
| Today Marsala brings to mind the wine much | | | | grapes and to the total annual wine production. |
| loved by the British (and others) for well over | | | | And an independent Sicily would be the world's |
| two hundred years. Should you visit this city | | | | seventh largest wine producer. You may be |
| make sure to see the Museo Archeologico Baglio | | | | surprised to learn that only slightly more than fifty |
| Anselmi (Baglio Anselmi Archeological Museum) | | | | percent of Sicilian wine is red. Sicily produces |
| with its warship and artifacts believed to date | | | | nineteen DOC wines. DOC stands for |
| from the First Punic War in 241 B.C. You may also | | | | Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may |
| want to make reservations to visit the | | | | be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, |
| Donnafugata Winery in downtown Marsala. Yes, | | | | presumably a high-quality wine. Only about 2% of |
| they do give samples. We have now reached the | | | | Sicilian wine carries this sometimes prestigious |
| western tip of the island and are heading south | | | | classification. But there are many Sicilian wines |
| and east. | | | | without the DOC classification, sometimes by |
| Selinunte was the site of a Greek colony founded | | | | choice. |