Segesta

From Castellammare del Golfo, it's a 20-minute drive to Segesta. If coming from Palermo, the turnoff is right after a long tunnel.

The ancient city of Segesta was a city of Elymians, people thought to be from Troy, who settled here and on the western coast of Sicily. The site has a temple and an amphitheater.

You can pay to park at the lot near the entrance.

Or, follow the cars and park in the free lot a 5-minute walk from the entrance.

Purchase your ticket at the booth--€8 admission and €2 for the roundtrip shuttle to the amphitheater. The site is open from 9am-7:30pm.

Pass through the entrance and walk up to the temple. It's a steep 10-minute walk.

The Doric Greek temple has 6 columns by 14 columns. It was built in 420 BC, 25 years after the Parthenon in Athens.

The columns would be fluted after construction to give it a smooth appearance but these columns were never finished. The temple has no cella (central room used for worship), no roof and no altar. It's unclear why the temple was never finished but one story is that the temple was built for the Athenians, whom the Segestans sought an alliance. Once the pact was signed, the Segestans abandoned completion of the temple.

Other signs that the temple was not finished.

The projections used to carry the stone blocks had not been removed.

After visiting the temple, you can either take a 30-minute steep uphill hike or take the shuttle to arrive at the small amphitheater.

The acoustics in the amphitheater are ideal.

Nearby the theater, you'll find the ruins of an agora.

You can return to the parking lot by shuttle or walk down the hill.

You'll get amazing views of the temple.

Onsite, there's also a small museum. This displays the downspouts.

It takes about 2-3 hours to visit the site. We were there in mid April and there were no concessions. Bring water.

2022 04 14