The archaeological area of Segesta, in the area of Calatafimi (TP), gets its name from the city founded on mount Bàrbaro by the Elymians, a population of Trojan origins who crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Sicily. Destroyed by Carthage in 409 BCE, it passed under Roman control after the First Punic War which sparked the addition of a large swathe of land and a new phase of prosperity.
The most significant elements are the theatre and the temple. The former, built on the northern side of the acropolis from blocks of local limestone in the 3rd century BCE approx., has a diameter of 63m and dominates the surrounding countryside from mount Inici to the Gulf of Castellammare. The great Doric temple stands outside the city walls and was probably still unfinished at the time of the Carthaginian siege.
Other features of the city include: the sanctuary of Contrada Mango, also outside the walls, which probably dates to 6th century BCE, the walls with the Valle gate and several residential areas. Further investigation has revealed another phase of development in late antiquity and the presence of a Muslim-era village, as demonstrated by a mosque, before becoming a Norman-Swabian settlement dominated by a castle on the summit of mount Barbaro.
Sicilia Film Commission
Via Emanuele Notarbartolo 9 — 90141 Palermo
Phone: +39 091 7078008; +39 091 7078264; +39 091 7078133; +39 091 7078145
Email: filmcommission@regione.sicilia.it
