The Doric Temple of Segesta, Sicily – To experience an unforgettable romantic experience of the past visit Segesta just one hour’s drive to the west of Palermo. Here you’ll find one of the most well-preserved temples on earth that date back to the fifth century B.C. situated in an uninhabited grassy field.
As per Cicero, a Roman writer Cicero the temple had used to house a statue of the Diana. After a governor ordered the statue to be taken down, all the women of the town came together to anoint the statue with perfume, wrap it in flowers, and then burn incense to give Diana an oblation ceremony.
The mystery of this area abounds. It’s unclear how the Elymians who were the early settlers in the days before conquering the Greeks did not put up a roof over the site. The sixty-six Doric columns clearly display Greek influence. There’s an idea that the Elymians erected it in order to be on the good side of the powerful Greeks. They were fighting the Southern Selinunte neighbors, who had joined with Syracuse.
The Elymians, hoping to convince the Greeks to believe they were worthy of their support began construction of the time knowing that there was a group from Athens that would be passing through to visit them. After the Athenians came to and left, convinced that Segesta Elymians had wealth and were a good choice for the design of their buildings, they stopped work on the building of the temple.
As the wind whirls around one of the columns in the temple, it’s like that an organ is playing. In the spring, when it’s covered with wildflowers it’s awe-inspiring. The temple never was completed because of the conflict that erupted between Segesta as well as Selinunte.
From the Segesta hilltop, you’ll be able to enjoy an expansive panorama of the valley to the Gulf of Castellammare. Contrary to other places, like Agrigento in which modernizations alter the traditional atmosphere and culture, in Segesta, there aren’t any distracting factors.
Within a short distance is an amphitheater that dates back to around the time of the 3red century B.C., in which revivals of Greek ballets, plays, and avant-garde productions are staged throughout the summer.
The columns are not cut as they would normally be in the Doric temple however there are bosses that are present in the bricks of the base, which are used to raise the blocks, and then remove them.
Doric Temple of Segesta: Open November through March 9 am to 4 pm, and April to August 9 am 7 pm. It is accessible via a drive of an hour to the west of Palermo or travels for a half-hour by train or bus journey from Trapani.
Golden Day Tip: Visit the Segesta Temple, and driving towards Erice visit Baglio Fontana, which is a fantastic Agriturismo, with a fantastic restaurant.
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