Editing Erice

{{for|the Spanish film director|Victor Erice}}
{{Expand Italian|date=January 2022|topic=geo}}
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name                = Erice
| official_name       = Città di Erice
| native_name         = {{native name|el|Èryx}}
| image_skyline       = Chiesa madre Erice 08 10 2017 05.jpg
| imagesize           = 
| image_alt           = 
| image_caption       = View of Erice
| image_shield        = 
| shield_alt          = 
| image_map           = 
| map_alt             = 
| map_caption         = 
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt     = 
| coordinates         = {{coord|38|2|13|N|12|35|11|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| region              = [[Sicily]]
| province            = [[Province of Trapani|Trapani]] (TP)
| frazioni            = Ballata, Casa Santa, Crocefissello, [[Napola (Erice)|Napola]], Pizzolungo, Rigaletta, San Cusumano, Torretta
| mayor_party         = 
| mayor               = Daniela Toscano 
| area_footnotes      = 
| area_total_km2      = 47
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total    = 27464
| population_as_of    = 31 March 2020
| pop_density_footnotes = 
| population_demonym  = Ericini
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m         = 751
| twin1               = 
| twin1_country       = 
| saint               = SS. Mary of Custonaci
| day                 = 
| postal_code         = 91016
| area_code           = 0923
| website             = {{official website|http://www.comune.erice.tp.it/}}
| footnotes           = 
}}

'''Erice''' ({{IPA|it|ˈɛːɾitʃe}}; {{langx|scn|Èrici}} [[International Phonetic Alphabet|[ˈɛːɾɪʃɪ]]]) is a historic [[town]] and ''[[comune]]'' in the [[province of Trapani]], [[Sicily]], southern [[Italy]]. It is a member of the {{lang|it|[[I Borghi più belli d'Italia]]}} ("The most beautiful villages of Italy") association.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://borghipiubelliditalia.it/sicilia/|title=Sicilia|access-date=1 August 2023|language=it}}</ref>

==Geography==
The historic centre of Erice is located on top of [[Mount Erice]], at around {{convert|750|m|ft}} above sea level, overlooking the city of [[Trapani]], the low western coast towards [[Marsala]], the dramatic Punta del Saraceno and Capo San Vito to the north-east, and the [[Aegadian Islands]] on Sicily's north-western coast. 

Casa Santa, the lower district of Erice, is situated at the base of Mount Erice, immediately adjacent to Trapani.

A cable car (''funivia'') connects the upper and lower parts of the municipality. Originally opened in 2005, it was closed in 2017 following forest fire damage and reopened in June 2018 after restoration.

The bordering municipalities are [[Buseto Palizzolo]], [[Paceco]], [[Trapani]], [[Valderice]] and [[Custonaci]]. The hamlets (''[[Frazione|frazioni]]'') are Ballata, Casa Santa, Crocefissello, [[Napola (Erice)|Napola]], Pizzolungo, Rigaletta, San Cusumano and Torretta.

==History==
[[File:Erice-Chiesa-Madre-bjs-3.jpg|thumb|240px|Tower of the Chiesa Madre (Cathedral)]]
{{main|Eryx (Sicily)}}

The ancient Greek name of Erice was [[Eryx (Sicily)|Eryx]] ({{lang|grc|Έρυξ}} in [[Greek language|Greek]]), and its foundation was associated with the eponymous Greek hero [[Eryx (mythology)|Eryx]]. It was not a Greek colony, as the [[Phoenicia]]ns founded it, but was largely [[Hellenization|Hellenized]]. It was destroyed in the [[First Punic War]] by the [[Carthage|Carthaginians]], and from then on declined in importance.

Eryx was conquered by the [[Aghlabids]] in 831 and was renamed as Cebel Hamid (in Western sources Gebel Hamed, meaning Mountain of Hamid). It was ruled by the Arabs until the [[Norman conquest of southern Italy|Norman conquest]]. In 1167 the Normans renamed it '''Monte San Giuliano''', a name maintained until the 20th century.

===20th Century===
In 1934 the town changed its name from ''Monte San Giuliano'' to '''Erice'''.
 
During the Second World War a Luftwaffe Operations Centre (associated with  ''[[Zerstörergeschwader 26]]'' and ''[[Jagdgeschwader 27]]'' which operated out of the nearby [[Trapani–Milo Airport]]) was located on the slopes of Monte Erice from early 1943 until they were forced by Allied air raids to relocate.<ref name= Holland>{{cite book |last= Holland |first= James |title= Sicily '43: The First Assault on Fortress Europe |year= 2020 |location= London |publisher= Bantam Press |pages= 383 |type= Hardback |isbn= 978-1-7876-3293-6}}</ref>   Following the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 troops of the 2nd Battalion of the [[505th Infantry Regiment (United States)| 505th Infantry Regiment]] [[Seventh United States Army| Seventh Army]] under the command of Major Mark Alexander began on 22 July 1943 to climb up the side of Monte Erice in order to secure the town and its commanding position overlooking the surrounding countryside. As they did so they came under artillery fire from Italian forces stationed on the ramparts with one soldier being killed and another wounded. Realizing that the safest position was directly under the walls of town the lead troops took shelter there. Rather than waiting on artillery support to arrive the decision was then made for F Company to attack. However before the troops had come close enough to engage them the Italian forces signaled their surrender.<ref name= Holland/>

== Landmarks ==
Key sites in Erice’s historic centre include:

* '''Cyclopean walls''': Ancient fortifications that once protected Eryx. They are considered among the most significant surviving examples of early Mediterranean defensive architecture, incorporating Elymian, Punic, and medieval construction phases.<ref>{{cite journal |last=De Vincenzo |first=Salvatore |title=The fortification wall of Eryx: A new definition of the settlement's construction phases and topographic development in light of recent excavations |journal=Analysis Archaeologica |volume=1 |year=2015 |pages=103–116 |url=https://www.academia.edu/31499089/The_fortification_wall_of_Eryx_A_new_definition_of_the_settlement_s_construction_phases_and_topographic_development_in_light_of_recent_excavations_Analysis_Archaeologica_1_2015_103_116}}</ref>
* '''Castle of Venus''': A Norman-era fortress built on the site of an ancient sanctuary dedicated to Venus Erycina, a Roman adaptation of the Greek goddess [[Aphrodite]]. The area has been associated with religious activity since antiquity and features archaeological remains from Elymian, Roman, and medieval periods.<ref>{{cite web |title=Il Castello di Venere |url=https://www.fondazioneericearte.org/il-castello-di-venere/ |website=Fondazione Erice Arte |language=it |access-date=18 May 2025}}</ref>
* '''Churches''': Erice contains numerous historic churches, including the 14th-century [[Chiesa Matrice, Erice|Mother Church]] (''Chiesa Matrice''), and others such as San Martino and San Giuliano, representing a range of architectural styles and periods.<ref name="Tusa2017">{{cite book |last=Tusa |first=Sebastiano |title=Erice: Planning for Life |year=2017 |publisher=Self-published |location=Erice |language=en}}</ref>
* '''Cordici Museum''' (''Polo Museale “A. Cordici”''): A civic museum housed in a former Franciscan convent, founded in 1876 to conserve artworks and archaeological finds from suppressed religious institutions and local collections. Its holdings include Elymian and Roman artifacts, sacred art, ethnographic objects, and Garibaldian-era weapons. The museum also features a dedicated section for contemporary art, showcasing works from the La Salerniana collection, which includes pieces by prominent Italian artists from the latter half of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Polo Museale “A. Cordici” |url=https://www.fondazioneericearte.org/polo-museale-a-cordici/ |website=Fondazione Erice Arte |language=it |access-date=18 May 2025}}</ref>
* '''Balio Towers''' (''Torri del Balio''): A group of medieval towers that served both defensive and administrative functions following the [[Norman conquest of southern Italy]]. They were the residence of the Bajulo, a royal official responsible for civil justice and taxation, and formed a gateway to the Castle of Venus.<ref name="Tusa2017"/>
* '''Pepoli Turret''' (''Torretta Pepoli''): A neo-Gothic retreat built between 1872 and 1880 by Count Agostino [[Pepoli]] as a place for study and cultural gatherings. Situated on a rocky outcrop east of the Balio Gardens, it blends medieval, Moorish, and Liberty architectural elements. Restored in 2014, it now serves as a multimedia museum and the “Observatory of Peace and Lighthouse of the Mediterranean”.<ref>{{cite web |title=Torretta Pepoli |url=https://www.fondazioneericearte.org/torretta-pepoli/ |website=Fondazione Erice Arte |language=it |access-date=19 May 2025}}</ref>
* '''[[Balio Gardens]]''': Public gardens created in the 19th century by Count Agostino Pepoli on former grazing land adjacent to the Balio Towers. The gardens feature Mediterranean and exotic plantings, fountains, monuments, and viewpoints over Trapani and the surrounding coastline.

==Culture==
Erice hosts [[scientific]] meetings at the [[Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture|Ettore Majorana]] center, organised by the [[Astrophysics|astrophysicist]] [[Antonino Zichichi]].
There is also an annual workshop on [[Molecular Gastronomy]].{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Church (9524863018).jpg|Erice Cathedral with its bell tower
File:Erice - interieur de la Chiesa Matrice.JPG|View inside the Cathedral
File:EriceDomRosette.jpg|Rose window of the Cathedral
File:Erice mura3.jpg|Cyclopean masonry
File:Erice-streets-bjs-3.jpg|Via San Carlo
File:San Giuliano church - Erice.jpg|St Julian's Church
File:Erice-Castle-bjs-1.jpg|Castle of Balio
File:Erice - Castello 03.JPG|The stronghold and Castle of Venere
File:Erice-Castle-bjs-2.jpg|Castle of Venere
File:Erice-views-bjs-1.jpg|View of monte Cofano
File:Erice-views-bjs-2.jpg|Trapani seen from the castle
File:Monte Cofano seen from Erice.jpg|Monte Cofano seen from an alley in Erice
File:Street name sign in Erice.jpg|Via [[Carlo Levi]] 1902-1975
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage}}
{{commons}}
* [http://www.360travelguide.com/360VirtualTour.asp?iCode=eri04 Panoramic view from Erice castle] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224175418/http://www.360travelguide.com/360VirtualTour.asp?iCode=eri04 |date=2012-02-24 }}
* [https://archive.today/20130410195028/http://palermo.for91days.com/11/12/02/sopping-wet-in-medieval-erice Erice Photo Essay]

{{Province of Trapani}}
{{Archaeological sites in Sicily}}
{{Phoenician cities and colonies|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Elymians]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Sicily]]
[[Category:Phoenician colonies in Sicily]]
[[Category:Erice| ]]
[[Category:Borghi più belli d'Italia]]