In ancient time the marvelous Erice has been built on the summit of the mountain of the same name, overlooking Trapani and the sea with the Egadi Islands on one side, Castellammare del Golfo and Mount Cofano on the other.

On clear days you can also see Ustica, Pantelleria and Capo Bon (Tunisia).

Erice is extremely quiet and peaceful; it tends to preserve the charm of a medieval town, with the fresh air and the beautiful pine forests surrounding it.

Erice is one of the favored destinations by tourists.

Once it was one of the largest municipalities in Sicily; it was probably founded by the Elymians, disputed by the Syracusans and Carthaginians and finally conquered by the Romans.

During the Norman period, it acquired prestige, but it was reborn thanks to the War of the Vespers, becoming the fortress from which the war took place.

At that time the monastic life characterized the town's life, and the management of agricultural income allowed the construction of extraordinary, still visible buildings.

Today the town is a labyrinth of narrow cobblestone streets and narrow passages.

Starting from the 16th century, the representation of the Mysteries began, on Good Friday, with wooden statues carried on the shoulders, which always follow the original route.

Since 1963, it is home to the Ettore Majorana Center for Scientific Culture, which envolves the most qualified scholars of all the world for the scientific treatment of problems affecting various sectors: medicine, law, history, astronomy, philology, chemistry and many others.

For this reason the town has been given the nickname "town of science".

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