Proudly and majestically the ‘E Temple’ that it is believed was originally built in honour of the Greek goddess, Hera, rises up from the meadows of Selinunte. Although rebuilt in recent times, its columns are evocative of Sicily’s colourful history.

For many centuries little was visible of the once important city of Selinus that is situated on the border of the former Greek Empire. Tall sand dunes once covered the impressive architectural heritage of this coastal city, including the buildings of the eastern temple district. The ancient city was discovered in the sixteenth century by a Sicilian historian but it was not until the 1950’s that the Hera Temple was restored.

In 409 B.C. the Carthaginians attacked the formerly friendly city of Selinus, although the reason for this remains a mystery. The people of Selinus were unable to defend themselves against the military might of Hannibal thus large areas of the city were completely destroyed.

Measuring around two hundred and eighty-four hectares, Selinunte is the largest archaeological excavation site in Europe and who knows how many more treasures may one day be discovered?