GAME OF STONES

Step back in time and relive the triumphs and dramas of two of Sicily’s fiercest rivals on a full-day excursion from Trapani. You will gain a captivating glimpse of life on the island more than two thousand years ago as you roam through the ruins of the one-time glorious towns of Selinunte and Segesta, the bitterest enemies in “Westeros” Sicily.

Meet your private guide and driver at your accommodation and relax on the ride to Selinunte. Immersed in a tranquil setting on a high plain overlooking the cobalt-blue Mediterranean Sea and the golden sandy beaches of the western coast of Sicily, the ruins of this once bustling city are a truly moving and impressive sight. Historians believe the settlement was founded by Greek colonists some time between 650 and 630 BC. Selinunte’s population, commercial power and financial prosperity grew rapidly, leading it to become one of Sicily’s most affluent and influential cities. The abundance of olive oil and wheat triggered a profitable agricultural exporting activity; its thriving port drew ships and wares from all over the Mediterranean giving impulse to trade and to the mass production of ceramic artefacts; grandiose temples in honour of the classical deities began to be erected as an expression of gratitude for such good fortune. The city’s ambitions and expansionist designs sparked the envy of nearby populations and especially of the Elymians from the rival town of Segesta, whose enmity would eventually be fatal.

The ruins you see today have lain abandoned ever since a devastating 409 BC raid transformed Selinunte into a gigantic heap of rubble. The North African Carthaginians, who considered the city’s feats a threat to their dominance over Sicily, taking advantage of some minor border skirmishes between Selinunte and the Elymians, sent a 40,000 strong army against Selinunte on the pretext of defending the interests of their ally Segesta. After a nine-day siege the Carthaginians breached the walls of Selinunte, destroyed and plundered private homes and temples, slaughtered some 16,000 of the estimated 25,000 civilians and enslaved 6,000 men, women and children. This brutal massacre marked the end of Selinunte’s glories and, although the city was partially rebuilt and repopulated, it never again regained its former magnificence.

Despite ferocious pillage and plunder, a violent earthquake that shook the area in the Middle Ages and the inevitable assaults of time, a remarkable portion of Selinunte has miraculously survived, frozen for almost two and a half millennia. As you walk past the ruins of temples, residential quarters and workshops your guide will explain how this archaeological site continues to provide us with valuable knowledge about the practices and traditions of a bygone civilization. What is striking about Selinunte is that its age-old metropolis is still preserved in its entirety, mostly hidden under layers of sand and earth, thus offering an exciting opportunity to unravel some enigmas surrounding the ancient Greeks. From one day to the next vibrant Selinunte became a ghost town and simply ceased to exist. Indeed one of the most appalling tragedies of the classical world may well prove to be a source of priceless information, enabling us to throw light on the mysteries of our ancestors’ way of life.

After some free time for lunch, rejoin your guide and driver and reach the remains of the ancient town of Segesta, situated in an unspoiled location amidst peaceful green hills, north of Calatafimi. Although Segesta’s early beginnings are wrapped in mystery and legend, we know it was once one of the major settlements of the Elymians, a population that inhabited Western Sicily in the 1st millennium BC. Your guide will lead you through the ruins and relate the history of the town, from its disputes with the nearby rival Greek colony of Selinunte, through timely alliances with Athens, Carthage and Rome, to its decline and abandonment in the Middle Ages.

Quite astoundingly, after 2,500 years, traces of Segesta’s glorious 5th and 4th century BC heyday still survive, allowing visitors insight into the customs and beliefs of the island’s early dwellers. The archaeological site features two impressive ancient monuments. The extraordinarily well preserved Doric temple, dating between 430 and 420 BC, boasts thirty-six original columns and sits solemnly in an isolated spot atop a 304-metre-high hill. The semicircular theatre, built between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, perches 400 metres above sea level on the northern slope of Mount Barbaro and still continues to stage theatrical events and Greek dramas throughout the summer months delighting spectators with the striking natural backdrop of the Gulf of Castellammare.

After your visit down the centuries turn the clock forward again to the present day as you return to your accommodation in Trapani.