Temple of Segesta

About this place

Segesta was one of the major cities of the Elymians, one of the three indigenous peoples of Sicily, in the northwest of the island near the town of Calatafimi-Segesta in Trapani province, about 27 km east of Trapani and 50 km southwest of Palermo in a straight line. Segesta took on Greek culture very early, with a profound effect on its people. Its best-known survivor is a large Doric temple built in the 5th century BC that was never finished, so it has no roof and its columns were never fluted. On the summit of nearby Monte Barbaro stands an ancient Greek theatre overlooking the valley. The temple stands alone on a low hill amid wide green and golden countryside, with thirty-six honey-coloured limestone columns carrying a massive stone entablature, surrounded by mountains and valleys. Almost complete, it seems to stand outside time, and it glows gold at sunset. Visitors walk a short path from the entrance to the temple and around it, then go up by shuttle bus or on foot to the theatre on the summit for a view over the valley to the sea. Summers are hot, so arrive in the morning.