Himera Archaeological Park

Bjs · CC BY-SA 4.0

Termini Imerese, PA

Himera is the Greek city where in 480 BC Gelon of Syracuse and Theron of Agrigento defeated the Carthaginians, in a battle that ancient tradition remembers alongside that of Salamis. To celebrate the victory the Temple of Victory was built, of which the foundations and part of the cella remain.

The colony was founded in 648 BC by settlers from Zancle (Messina). In 409 BC it was destroyed by the Carthaginians and never rebuilt. The excavations have also uncovered vast necropolises, with over 13,000 burials, including mass graves of those who fell in the battles of 480 and 409 BC.

The Antiquarium holds the lion-head gutters of the temple and the finds from the excavations, while the nearby Museo Pirro Marconi tells the story of the city.

• Monday-Saturday 9:00-18:30 in summer (last entry 17:30) and 9:00-17:30 in winter (last entry 16:30). Sundays and public holidays 9:00-13:00. The Antiquarium and the Museo Pirro Marconi follow the same hours as the archaeological area.
• 1-2 hours
• Archaeological area €6 full price, €3 reduced; same price for the Antiquarium and the Museo Pirro Marconi (rates from the park's website).
• Spring and autumn
• Flat terrain but with little shade; the museum is separate from the temple area.
• Visit the Antiquarium, which explains the battle and the city, and then the Temple of Victory. Bring water and a hat; on Sundays it closes early, at 13:00.