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According to Diodoro Siculo, Erice, Son of Bute one of Jason’s Argonauts and the goddess Aphrodite erected a temple to his mother and founded this city. Over time worship of Venus Ericina grew, passing sailors were very fond of this site thanks to the incredibly beautiful ‘Ierodule’ young sacred prostitutes who worked for the Goddess of Love, Venus – who granted the ‘Ierodule’ with voluptuousness, lust and passion. Virgil wrote of Aneas stopping by Erice to bury his father Anchises by the sanctuary before sailing to Lazio where he helped found the city of Rome – This legend united the ancient Elymi to the Roman civilization by linking them in kinship as both are believed to be descendants of Venus (mother to both Aeneas and Erice). Many cultures have acquired access to and revered Erice (Elymi, Phoenicians, and...

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After Rome defeated the Carthaginians (Phoenicians), they took control of Erice and the worship of Venus. The Romans rebuilt the castle and temple and loved the place so much that they, rebuilt a small temple on the Capitoline Hill (in Rome) and a larger temple in Porta Collina that were both dedicated to Venus Erincina, to remind them of the beauty and power of Erice.

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The Norman Castle – Was built upon the remains of the ancient sanctuary and consisted of two buildings the upper castle and the lower Balio Towers. The two structures were connected by a draw bridge and made one of the strongest fortifications of its time in the Mediterranean. At the end of the 19th Century Count Agositno Pepoli rebuilt the towers and gardens and often entertained notable guests Antonio Salinas (archaeologist) Nicola Rodolico (historian). Has since been restored and is used for public events and an observatory for peace / light house for the Mediterranean.

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