The town Erice (pronounced Èh-ree-chay) is named for Eryx (or Eros), the mythical son of the goddess Venus and her lover, King Bute of the ancient Elimi tribe (NB that makes the Greco-Roman hero Aeneas his half-brother.). Erice boasts a 12th century Norman castle (pictured), known as Il Castello di Venere or the Castle of…
Tag: castle of venus
Castle of Love
Erice boasts a 12th century castle—Il Castello di Venere or the Castle of Venus—that was built on top of an ancient Roman temple dedicated to the goddess of love. However, before the Roman iteration and the still standing current Norman castle, centuries before, the site was dedicated to the ancient Elimi tribe’s mother goddess of…