Western and Tyrrhenian Coast
Travelling along the northern coast of the mythic Trinacria is a sort of journey through time, inspired by the remains of those ancient cultures which contributed to the greatness of the island, still immersed as they are in their original and unique natural scenery.
An inestimable documentation of the early Mesolithic period can be found in the Genovese's Cave in Levanzo, an island of the Egadi archipelago. Graffiti and rock paintings show a series of human and animal figures depicted in a very realistic way, to be equalled in the graffiti of hunting scenes and initiation rituals in the Addaura Cave in Palermo, dating back to the middle Neolithic period.
Evidences of ancient Phoenician settlements are gathered within the alluring silence of Mothya, a tiny island near Marsala, whose name meaning "spinning wheel" is related to the wool-weaving and dye works typical of Phoenicians. Although the settlements were destroyed during the siege of the Syracuse's tyrant Dionysius, the island still maintains many traces of them: high defensive walls, dry docks for the loading and offloading of ships, and the disturbing Tophet, a kind of cemetery for remains of children, offered in sacrifice to the goddess Tanit. The rich museum hosted on the island shows very interesting materials from the ancient town and also the magnificent Young Man of Mothya, probably part of a plunder from a conquered Greek city. Marsala Museum' s pride and glory is a big Punic warship, excavated and reassembled.
Selinunte Archaeological Park preserves remains of ancient Greek buildings. The whole town of Selinunte was destroyed by Carthage in 409 BC, but the Acropolis and the ancient temples are still etched in their sheer purity against the landscape, overlooking the Sicily Channel. The splendid Doric temple (V century BC) situated at the foot of Mount Barbaro in Segesta, founded by the Elymians, is another glorious example of the ancient ruins preserved by the sands of time in this region. The slopes of Mount Barbaro also host the remains of the famous Amphitheatre (III century BC), marked by 20 tiers of steps, which served as seats for the audience of Greek plays and are still used for this purpose for modern spectators.
Founded by Phoenicians (in spite of its Greek name Panormos, meaning all port), Palermo hosts a particularly rich Archaeological Museum with exhibitions of outstanding archaeological finds. Worth admiring is the collection of ancient pottery and black or red figures vessels, which represents a synthesis of the vase painting history of Magna Grecia.
Everything in the Aeolian archipelago recalls the mythical past of the islands' ancient inhabitants. Evidences of ancient Mycenaean settlements were founded in the necropolis and in huts excavated on Capo Graizano in Filicudi (Bronze Age). Mycenaean culture influenced the locals, leaving traces in their art and tradition, as witnessed by the pottery collections decorated with geometric figures gathered in the renowned Lipari's Museum. The latter also boasts an extraordinary collection of terracotta masks with the conventional features and exaggerated expressions typical of the characters in ancient drama.
The Archaeological Park in Tindari is worth a stopover. Tindari was founded in IV century BC and destroyed by a landslide in the I century, as reported by Plinius the Old. Tindari is home to the well-known Sanctuary and to an impressive Ancient Greek Theatre. This architectonic jewel measuring 62 m in diameter was readapted for circus games in the imperial age.
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