Selinunte, ancient Selinus
Selinunte, ancient Selinus, is an archaeological site located on the south-western coast of Sicily near the town of Castelvetrano. Immediately in front of it along the coast lies the village of Marinella di Selinunte, with its sandy beaches and small harbour, an ideal place to stay while exploring the ancient ruins.
Selinunte, ancient Selinus, was a Sicilian Greek city originally built around 650 BC. It was the most western of the Greek cities, founded by men from Megara Hyblaea on the east coast of the island. The name Selinus came from the ancient Greek word for wild celery, selinon, which grew on the banks of the nearby river. This wild plant can still be seen in the area.
For centuries it was thought that the remains of Selinunte, ancient Selinus, lay below the port of Mazara further up the coast. In the 1550s a Dominican friar named Tommaso Fazello set out to write a history of ancient Sicily and during his research rediscovered the site of ancient Selinus.
Today the site is famous for its temples and for the remains of the sanctuary to Demeter Malophorus. The ancient quarries that supplied the stone for building Selinunte, ancient Selinus, can be seen about half an hour’s drive away at Campobello.
Find out more about Selinunte, ancient Selinus
For more information, see Exploring Selinunte - ancient Selinus.
Jeremy Dummett's book Syracuse, City of Legends is available from Amazon and all good bookshops, including the Libreria Gabò, 38 Corso Matteotti, Ortygia, Syracuse.