Elymian-Punic Walls of Erice are defensive fortifications at the site of Eryx, a religious centre and city in pre-Roman Sicily, and modern-day Erice.
History.
Archaeological analysis has shown that the fortifications were built in three distinct phases.
Conservation and access.
Restoration and consolidation of the walls began in the 1970s and have continued in recent decades. In 2024, the Erice municipality launched a new conservation phase, supported by €1.94 million in funding from Italy’s PNRR (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza). The project focuses on structural stabilisation, improved walkways, and new interpretive signage to support public access and understanding.
The walls extend through a forested area below Via Rabatà, near Porta Trapani, where postern gates ("postierle") and towers were built into the masonry. The most continuous and well-preserved section of wall runs east between Porta Spada and Porta del Carmine, where the different construction phases are evident. Notable structural elements include sixteen remaining towers, six historic gates, and visible layers of Elymian, Punic, and medieval masonry.