A Short Tour of Western Sicily
From Trapani to Castelvetrano a 2000-year journey
Indeed, the long history of Sicily is concentrated in this territory.
From Trapani, heading south, it is possible to travel through more than 2000 years of history!
Along a road of just 80 km, a route that begins with the Elymians and arrives in the early 1980s. From Segesta to Selinunte, via Salemi (the first capital of united Italy), Gibellina Nuova (an experiment in contemporary architecture), Burri’s Cretto, Partanna (one of Sicily’s most important fiefdoms) and Castelvetrano (FEUDO of one of southern Italy’s most eminent families).
A path that from the Phoenicians runs through our history and influences our traditions, in which each civilisation has left its mark.
SALEMI
Salemi is a small jewel box that holds a thousand-year history, nestled in the hills amidst vineyards and olive groves.
A walk through the historical centre of Salemi crosses different cultures, from Arab to Norman, from Roman times to Swabian and Bourbon imprints. An itinerary through the historic centre is a journey through time that allows you to immerse yourself in different eras, amidst vestiges of distant times with a unique charm.
Salemi’s historical centre is one of the richest and best preserved in western Sicily: historic and aristocratic palaces, the Jewish quarter of Giudecca and the Islamic quarter of Rabato make the alleys of this village an urban and architectural masterpiece. The historical centre is characterised by an Arab-style layout, with narrow streets and alleys leading to well-hidden courtyards and stairways that make a walk through this village even more fascinating.
The Salemi Museum Centre is housed in the Jesuit Convent, inside the chapel is a 17th-century reproduction of the Holy House of Loreto
SALEMI
Salemi is a small jewel box that holds a thousand-year history, nestled in the hills amidst vineyards and olive groves.
A walk through the historical centre of Salemi crosses different cultures, from Arab to Norman, from Roman times to Swabian and Bourbon imprints. An itinerary through the historic centre is a journey through time that allows you to immerse yourself in different eras, amidst vestiges of distant times with a unique charm.
Salemi’s historical centre is one of the richest and best preserved in western Sicily: historic and aristocratic palaces, the Jewish quarter of Giudecca and the Islamic quarter of Rabato make the alleys of this village an urban and architectural masterpiece. The historical centre is characterised by an Arab-style layout, with narrow streets and alleys leading to well-hidden courtyards and stairways that make a walk through this village even more fascinating.
The Salemi Museum Centre is housed in the Jesuit Convent, inside the chapel is a 17th-century reproduction of the Holy House of Loreto
GIBELLINA
The town of Gibellina Nuova was built from scratch following the earthquake that destroyed most of the municipalities in the Belice Valley in the province of Trapani in 1968.
The reconstruction of the city was spearheaded in 1970 by an enlightened administration that decided to rebuild the destroyed city on a new site with an ambitious urban design project that, involving internationally renowned artists and architects, would turn it into Italy’s largest open-air museum.
In fact, the project envisaged urban planning interventions for the reorganisation of public space as well as the inclusion of works of art that would enrich the inner urban fabric.
The city immediately became an immense laboratory for artistic experimentation and planning, in which artists and valuable works renewed urban space from an innovative perspective.
IL CRETTO DI BURRI
The cretto di Burri or cretto di Gibellina is the name by which the Grande Cretto, work of land art created site-specific by Alberto Burri between 1984 and 1989 on the site of the old town of Gibellina, which was completely destroyed in the 1968 Belice earthquake. Burri designed this gigantic monument that consists of retracing the streets and alleys of the old town: where the rubble of the earthquake once stood, Burri has cemented, making the destroyed town of Gibellina immortal. From above, the work appears as a series of concrete fractures in the ground. can be glimpsed from afar on the road. The Cretto is one of the most extensive works of Contemporary Art in the world
IL CRETTO DI BURRI
The cretto di Burri or cretto di Gibellina is the name by which the Grande Cretto, work of land art created site-specific by Alberto Burri between 1984 and 1989 on the site of the old town of Gibellina, which was completely destroyed in the 1968 Belice earthquake. Burri designed this gigantic monument that consists of retracing the streets and alleys of the old town: where the rubble of the earthquake once stood, Burri has cemented, making the destroyed town of Gibellina immortal. From above, the work appears as a series of concrete fractures in the ground. can be glimpsed from afar on the road. The Cretto is one of the most extensive works of Contemporary Art in the world
PARTANNA
From the hill on which this village stands, between the Modione and Belice valleys, the view sweeps down to the coast, running across the reliefs of its unique landscape. Here, in fact, lies the Castello della Pietra Reserve, an important nature area with impervious cliffs lapped at their foot by a bend in the Belice River, where nature and archaeology meet. The village of Partanna has medieval origins, although it still bears the signs of damage from the 1968 earthquake, which reduced its monumental appearance. The latter is perfectly expressed by the 17th-century Mother Church, a Baroque church built by Baron Baldassarre Grifeo. Its Baroque interior features an altar dedicated to the patron saint Saint Vitus Martyr that is a riot of stucco, although its façade was severely damaged by the earthquake. An expression of the importance of this village is above all the castle, which dominates the Piana della Fontana.
CASTELVETRANO
The origin of Castelvetrano is said to date back to the colonies of Selinuntine veterans destined to guard foodstuffs, hence the ancient name ‘castrum veteranorum’. The existence of the city is documented from Angevin rule. Today, its prosperity is mainly due to the cultivation of vineyards and olive groves and the development of the tourism sector.
The monumental church of San Domenico, erected in 1470 at the behest of Giovan Vincenzo Tagliavia, lord of the city, is a fundamental work in the history of Sicilian architecture. Called the ‘Sistine of Sicily’, it is in fact one of the most significant examples of the Sicilian Mannerism that heralded the coming Baroque. The high altar chapel and the choir chapel, decorated by Antonino Ferraro da Giuliana, are remarkable.
CASTELVETRANO
The origin of Castelvetrano is said to date back to the colonies of Selinuntine veterans destined to guard foodstuffs, hence the ancient name ‘castrum veteranorum’. The existence of the city is documented from Angevin rule. Today, its prosperity is mainly due to the cultivation of vineyards and olive groves and the development of the tourism sector.
The monumental church of San Domenico, erected in 1470 at the behest of Giovan Vincenzo Tagliavia, lord of the city, is a fundamental work in the history of Sicilian architecture. Called the ‘Sistine of Sicily’, it is in fact one of the most significant examples of the Sicilian Mannerism that heralded the coming Baroque. The high altar chapel and the choir chapel, decorated by Antonino Ferraro da Giuliana, are remarkable.
