Erice Art, History and Folklore
In the imagination of ancient peoples a fertile divinity dwelt on the high summit of Mount Erice. The Sicans and the Elymians, inhabitants of the region, built a temple where they worshipped her with rites and sacrifices. Not even the foundations now remain of the temple which, sparkling with gold and treasures, was dedicated to Sican-Elymian goddess and later to Astarte, to Aphrodite and to Venus. It was raised as a tribute to Nature, to its beauty, to its peacefulness, to the serenity with which it fills the hearts and minds of those who contemplate it. In the same way Erice welcomes those who are in search of peace and serenity. Pierre de Nohlac maintained that even now "… the Goddess has not fled the great solitary mountain; she breathes there and her presence is felt: she still intoxicates this land…": aland where the spellbinding wonder of nature and the glorious memories of the past still prevail. Take a stroll along the steep, shady roads with no particular dastination in mind and wander down the lanes, drinking in the atmosphere heavy with the scent of pine trees, and you will feel as though you have been transported to an unreal and harmonious world. In the climb up Monte Erice, man once more establishes contact with the ancients and discovers in nature the phenomenon which his forefathers worshipped as a goddess, the roots of his history and a cure for the troubles of everyday life.
