Erice
 

Visit Erice to climb the paved alleys and enter a village suspended in time. Handicrafts from Erice are famous throughout the world, as well as the desserts made by Erice’s cloistered nuns.
Erice clings to a 751 metre-high mountainside and dominates the Trapani bay. The view that can be enjoyed from the city is breathtaking. On days when the sky is clear you can even catch a glimpse of Mount Etna’s silhouette. To facilitate the climb to Erice from Trapani, new cable cars link the two cities together creating a panoramic route that it in itself makes the journey worthwhile.
The city was fortified by Syracusans and Carthaginians and then conquered by the Romans who worshipped Venus Erycina, the first goddess of Roman mythology and the equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

Foto: Giuseppe Catalano

THE LAND OF HANDICRAFTS
 
Passing through the perfectly-cobbled streets, you relive the atmosphere of a village that unravels in dozens of incredibly narrow streets, that feature splendidly-coloured flower displays and where you can taste refined culinary delights. Here you can find ceramic objects to embellish your home, such as vases and other classy and valuable home furnishings. Erice’s rigorously hand-weaved, multicoloured rugs are also highly noted and valued in the international market.
Foto: Gaetano D'Elia

THE ARCHITECTURAL DELIGHTS
 
Denis CalamiaHowever, there is more to Erice than these fine crafts. There are breathtaking churches to visit, such as the Chiesa Matrice which was built in 1314 and restored in the 1800s. The stronghold stands at the tip of an equilateral triangle that forms the pinnacle of mount Erice. In front of the Chiesa Matrice is where the sky-high bell tower stands. The tower was most likely built by Federico D’Aragona, originally functioning as a watch tower.
Foto: Denis Calamia

GASTRONOMY
 
Erice is the right place to try some typical Sicilian and Trapanese dishes. Traditional Arab dishes found here include an appetizing seafood couscous and a toasted almond dessert. As far as pizzas are concerned, the so-called “rianata”, made with pecorino cheese and oregano, absolutely has to be tried. Don’t miss the opportunity to sample Martorana fruit and mustazzoli, typical biscuits with honey. The colourful “badia” desserts, made by the cloistered nuns of the S. Carlo convent, are famous throughout the world and have become a symbol of the culinary delicacies of the city.
Foto: Vito Gabriele