March 31, 2019
On the coast just 20km from my ancestral town of Partanna and 50km from the port of Marsala you find the archaeological area called Selinunte. http://selinunte.gov.it/ It dates from 450 BCE. It has some of the finest Greek ruins anywhere.
Selinunte was a moderately-sized town, surprising given the scale of construction they undertook. The Greeks founded it in the seventh century BCE, locating it on the coast. In 409 BCE Carthaginians sacked Selinunte, then earthquakes in the middle ages damaged or toppled the remaining structures. English archaeologists began excavations in the late 1800’s. Excavation continues. Sculpture panels from a temple frieze are in the archaeological museum in Palermo.
There is an excellent museum which contains well translated exhibits as well as various remnants including a pediment atop tall columns. Upon this structure they project a slide show. It is superbly done and the highlight of our visit. We videoed part of the show. The handheld camera can not duplicate the experience for you but at least gives you some idea of what it’s like.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q57WGNYAg8M[/embedyt]
There is an extensive wiki on the town https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selinunte
If you want to thoroughly explore the site you need 3-4 hours if you walk. There is a motorized vehicle if you prefer, with a taped tour.