Parchi Archeologici e Riserve Naturali

Provincia di Trapani

Parco Archeologico di Segesta

Teatro Greco

Tempio dorico siculo

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This large archeological zone, with its magnificent Doric temple, ranks as one of the best-preserved Greek architectural sites to be found anyplace. Strangely enough, it was built by the Elami (Elymians) and not by the Greeks themselves. Segesta's temple is situated in a pristine countryside, standing alone in tranquil beauty amidst nature. There are virtually no modern-day structures to mar the setting of the Temple. You can really enjoy the splendor of the structure and the tranquility of the setting. At Segesta, you can easily imagine what it was like to live in Sicily in ancient times. Taking into consideration all the Greek sites and temples existing in Sicily, we encourage you to see Segesta during your stay in Sicily, not only for the structures themselves, but for the beautiful and natural setting. This idyllic setting is nothing like that of the temples of Agrigento, which, magnificent though they are, are located on the edge of town amidst creeping urban sprawl and illegally constructed villas.

The temple of Segesta is 61 meters long (190 feet) and 26 meters wide, built upon 4 steps, with a total of 36 Doric columns supporting the stone roof-frame of the structure. There are 14 columns on each of the long sides of the building and 6 columns across the front and back, for a total of 36 columns. The columns are of a "rough" finish because they were never "fluted." Apparently, the temple was never completed. It also appears that the structure never had a "cella," or roof, and archeologists are still in disagreement as to whether the Temple was deliberately planned this way, or was just never finished. It is believed that the edifice was erected between 420 and 430 BC.

Segesta's other main monument, the amphitheatre, stands on the slopes of Monte Barbaro (literally Mount Barbarian) at an elevation of 400 meters above sea level. The theatre has 20 tiers of steps which served as seats, divided into 7 sections by aisles that lead to the U-shaped stage area. The diameter of the semi-circular seating area is 63 meters. The seating area is known as the "cavea" and a good part of it was carved out of the solid rock of the mountain. Scholars differ as to when the it was built. Some archeologists believe it was built around the same time as the temple, or maybe some decades earlier, circa 450 BC. The theatre hosts Greek tragedies (in Italian) every two summers, alternating seasons with the theatre in Taormina.

Segesta was one of the few Sicilian cities founded by the Elami, one of the so-called indigenous peoples of Sicily. The Elami were apparently less numerous and their dominions less widespread than the better-known Sicani and Siculi, Sicily's other two native peoples. The only city still existing that was likely founded by the Elami is Erice, known as "Eryx" in ancient times. Entella, an abandoned city near the present-day Contessa Entellina, is also believed to have been founded by the Elami. Taking these three sites as reference points, we can speculate that the territory occupied by the Elami was relatively small, and seems to have consisted of the mountainous interior portion of the present-day Province of Trapani and extending perhaps to include small areas of the province of Palermo and a northwestern area of the province of Agrigento. Taking into account that Segesta is about 25 kilometers east of Erice, and that Entellina is about 40 kilometers east-Southeast of Segesta, the length of the Elamis' domain was about 65 kilometers, or 40 miles.

Very little indisputable information regarding the origins of the Elami exists, though there is no dearth of theories regarding the matter. According to the Athenian historian Thucydides, the Elami were descended from Trojan refugees who fled to Sicily when that city fell to the Greeks. Settling in northwestern Sicily, these refugees soon started to intermarry with the local Sicanian population, and passed on their superior civilization to these natives, thus establishing a new civilization. Since the earliest ruins of Segesta have been dated to circa 1200 BC, this is consistent with Trojan theory.

Inscriptions of an unknown language written in Greek characters have been found in Segesta. The most logical conclusion that can be drawn from is that the latter Elami were indigenous people with some Trojan blood who rapidly absorbed their Sicanian cousins. A mark of the level of civilization achieved by the Elami is indicated by the marriage practices of the Greeks who arrived in the area circa 650 BC. The Greeks freely intermarried with the Elami, but prohibited marriage with the Sicani, whom they regarded as barbarians.

The recorded history of Segesta begins around 500 BC. The Greek colony of Selinunte, a scant 60 kilometers directly South of Segesta, on the Southwest coast of Sicily, had dramatically grown and prospered in the intervening 150 years from its founding around 650 BC. This, however, alarmed the Segestans, who initially welcomed the Greeks but now viewed the rapidly expanding power of Selinunte as a serious threat. Likewise the Carthaginians, whose cities were spread from Mozia, near present-day Marsala, to Solunto, viewed the Greeks as a double-edged menace rapidly approaching them on two fronts: Himera on the northern coast and Selinunte on the southern littoral. Segesta allied itself with Carthage. However, with the great victory of the combined Greek armies over the Carthaginians at Himera in 480 BC, the Segestans quickly changed sides, becoming allies of one of the victorious Greek.

A colorful theory is widely accepted which advances a reason for the temple's construction. In 450 BC, Segesta's dreaded rival, Selinunte allied herself with Syracuse, mightiest of all the states of Magna Graecia. Segesta sought help outside Sicily, turning to Greece itself and beseeching mighty Athens for aid. To the Athenians, Segesta was only a distant city of scant importance. Before the Athenians would consider Segesta an ally, they deemed it proper to send a delegation of diplomatic envoys to investigate the city's claims of great wealth. In order to deceive the Athenians into thinking their city more prosperous than it actually was, the Segestans built the temple to impress the envoys. Once the envoys departed, convinced of Segesta's wealth, work on the Temple ceased. Its incompleteness cannot compromise its grandeur.

For Visitors: It's convenient to drive or take a bus from Trapani, which is about an half hour away. The nearest locality is Calatafimi.