Elymian-Punic Walls of Erice
38°02′28″N 12°35′16″E / 38.04110201578538°N 12.587711394288396°E
Elymian-Punic Walls of Erice are defensive fortifications at the site of Eryx, a religious centre and city in pre-Roman Sicily, and modern-day Erice.[1]
History
[edit]Archaeological analysis has shown that the fortifications were built in three distinct phases.[2]
- Elymian period (8th century BCE): Massive, unworked stones were piled to form a wall by the Elymians.[1][2]
- Punic period (6th–5th century BCE): Squared blocks were added in horizontal courses, a technique that anticipates later Roman opus quadratum. Some of these stones are engraved with letters from the Punic alphabet — including beth, ain, and phe — suggesting Carthaginian reconstruction or reinforcement.[1][2]
- Medieval period (from the Norman era onward): Smaller stone elements were and entryways (postierle) were created. These upper sections are still visible today.[1][2]
Conservation and access
[edit]Restoration and consolidation of the walls began in the 1970s and have continued in recent decades. In 2024, the Erice municipality launched a new conservation phase, supported by €1.94 million in funding from Italy’s PNRR (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza). The project focuses on structural stabilisation, improved walkways, and new interpretive signage to support public access and understanding.[3][4]
The walls extend through a forested area below Via Rabatà, near Porta Trapani, where postern gates (postierle) and towers were built into the masonry. The most continuous and well-preserved section of wall runs east between Porta Spada and Porta del Carmine, where the different construction phases are evident. Notable structural elements include sixteen remaining towers, six historic gates, and visible layers of Elymian, Punic, and medieval masonry.[1]
Gallery
[edit]-
Porta Carmine -
Porta Trapani -
Porta Spada -
Postern gate -
Defensive masonry
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Tusa, Matteo (2017). Erice: Planning for Life. Erice: Self-published. ISBN 9788892667327.
- ^ a b c d De Vincenzo, Salvatore (2015). "The fortification wall of Eryx: A new definition of the settlement's construction phases and topographic development in light of recent excavations." Analysis Archaeologica, vol. 1, pp. 103–116. link
- ^ "Comune di Erice – Interventi PNRR sulle Mura Elimo Puniche". Comune di Erice (in Italian). Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "Comune di Erice – Restauro delle mura elimo-puniche e percorsi turistici". Comune di Erice (in Italian). Retrieved 25 May 2025.
External links
[edit]- Virtual tour of the Elymian-Punic Walls – from the Comune di Erice