Visiting the Himera Archeological Park is an excellent opportunity to make an immersion in the archeological heritage left by the ancient Greek and Phoenicians
Landed in 648 B.C. in the present Termini Imerese, a group of Greeks of Chalkidian and Doric origin from Zankle (modern Messina) founded the colony of Himera. They settled at the center of a large gulf, between the promontories of Cefalù and Termini Imerese, and near the mouth of the river Imera Nord, an important artery connecting to central Sicily.
The archeological site was built in the 16th century, but the exploration started only between the 20 and 30’s of the last century, where the very important Tempio della Vittoria was found, that represents one of the best example of doric architecture in Sicily. The site is spread over a rather large area, of which only a small part has been excavated.It is estimated, in fact, that the geographical area of Himera is the largest Necropolis discovered.
Still today, visiting the site you will be amazed by the impressive ruins of the city, which testify to the greatness and power that the colony had in its heyday. Open to the public are the area of the Tempio della Vittoria and that of the upper city, where also stood the sanctuary of Athena. In particular, the archaeological park is spread over three levels, where you can find, starting from the top, architectural elements and votive offerings from the Temenos of Athena. The intermediate level is dedicated to objects of “material culture” from excavations. The lower level, finally, houses a selection of vases and furnishings from the Necropolis, a section dedicated to important sites of the territory such as Terravecchia di Cuti, Monte Riparato, Cefalù and an exhibition of underwater finds.