Selinunte Archaeological Park

It is the largest archaeological park in Europe and preserves the enormous remains of the Greek colony of Selinunte. Established in the seventh century BC by a group from the Megara Hyblea colony, who took the name from a type of wild parsley (“sélinon” in Greek) that still grows spontaneously in the area. After being rediscovered in the sixteenth century, the park materialised through numerous excavations started by the English at the beginning the nineteenth century. The archaeological area can be divided into four parts:

1. The sacared area located on the east hill (known as piana di Marinella) on which lie the three large Doric temples, the “E Temple”, the “F Temple” and the “G Temple” that, together with the Didymaion of Miletus, the Artemision of Ephesus and the G Temple of Agrigento, is one of the largest in history.

2. The Acropolis and its walls to the south, situated on the banks of the river Cottone.

3. The low Manuzza hill to the north, which is occupied by the inhabited centre itself, and two suburban sanctuaries.

4. The Malaphoros sanctuary positioned in the valley of the river Selinus.