By staying in one the charming villas in Sicily in Scopello, you can explore Selinunte and Segesta, some of the world’s stunning ancient architecture.
“Sicily is the land of oranges and of the flower-strewn ground with its fragrant air of springtime… but what makes it a land that must be seen and unique throughout the world is the fact that from one end to another it can be defined as a strange and divine museum of architecture”.
Those are the words of the famous XIXth century French writer Guy de Maupassant. A description that is still valid today, considering that this Mediterranean island hosts some of the most important remains of Roman and Greek times.
The strange and divine museum of architecture attracts every years thousands of archeology enthusiasts, art lovers, and, more simply, people who love to be surrounded by the spirit of history. In this lovely Italian island one can lose himself by wandering around the many archeological sites available.
Some of them are worldwide famous, like Agrigento’s Valley of Temples, while others are still popular, but less visited. This occurs when people travel to Sicily and have less time to visit the whole island, therefore they prefer to focus on the most famous ones.
Either if you are a newby in Sicily or you are a regular visitor, when planning a trip to this island you should consider visiting one of those sites
Let us see what are two of those amazing places that will not make you regret the most famous ones:
Segesta:
Segesta is located in the North-Western part of Sicily. According to the legend, Segesta was founded by the local king Acestes, son of the God of the Rivers, Crinisus) together with the Aeneas’s people who were escaping from the defeat of Troy. Its most important building is the Segesta Temple, built in the 5th century B.C. on the top of a hill. It is one of the most wonderfully preserved monuments in Sicily. It was built according to the Doric style and decorated with 36 columns, still undamaged.
Considering that it does not have a roof, it might be that the temple was never finished. However, some people believe that this was made on purpose, considering that local inhabitants were not Greek and used to pray in the open air. Another important part of this unique archeological site is the Acropolis, that is connected to the temple by charming hills from where you can see a wonderful panorama. On the hills themselves, it is possible to see some old-time fortifications and residential districts. On the highest hill there is the Theatre, that dates back to the 3rd Century B.C. When the Greeks and the Romans came in, the Theatre was heavily restructured according to their needs. It is now overlooking an enchanting panorama where it is wonderful to rest after a walk in the archeological site.
Selinunte
In the South-Western coast of Sicily lies the old city of Selinunte. Though it is known to be the greatest archeological park in the world, Selinunte is less famous than Agrigento. That is why is still possible to wander around it without having to face the hordes of tourists and pupils that invades the most famous sites. Selinunte was an extremely important city of the Greek times. Like in Segesta, that had been at war with Selinunte, there is an Acropolis and a wonderful temples, the two biggest ones dedicated to Hera and Zeus. A necropolis, houses, religious and civil buildings are spread across the huge archeological area. A not-to be missed chance to immerge yourself in the Ancient times.
A great chance to both go sightseeing and relax is to rent villas in Sicily in one of the charming coastal towns.
One that is located at a short distance from both Selinunte and Segesta is Scopello. This town is just an hour by car from Selinunte, and few kilometres from Segesta. Considering that the latter destination is also close to some thermal facilities, Terme Segestane and Terme Gorga, Scopello proves to be the perfect location for a cultural and relaxing vacation!
