Overview
The archaeological ruins of Segesta are located in south western Sicily and this is definitely a stop to make if you are in the area and one not to miss, however be prepared and ready to pay the park's fee to get up to the amphitheater and schedule your time accordingly for the temple and the amphitheater are about 15 minutes by bus apart and the park's bus is the only way to access the amphitheatre unless you are prepared to walk about 45 minutes.
Segesta was originally founded by the Elymian people, one of the native tribes of Sicily which pre-dated the Greeks and Romans. This tribe later integrated with the Greeks, making Segesta an important Classical town. It was later ruled by the Romans, but declined in importance before being finally abandoned in around the thirteenth century.
In the 5th century BC the Doric temple was created and remains as a magnificent testament to the culture which once resided here, for it rises out of the landscape in all its perfection as a testament to human kind's amazing abilities - with its golden stone reflecting and almost radiating light on a sunny day. Though never completed (it has always been roofless) it is one of the best-preserved examples of a Greek temple, and so for the ancient history or archaeology fan, it is unmissable.
As the site of an ancient and important town which was only abandoned in the Middle Ages, Segesta also boasts the archaeological remains of many other times and cultures. There are the ruins of a Norman castle, a small church and a mosque.
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