Columns extraction
The Cusa quarries: where time has stopped.
02 May 2022 - Categorie: Archaeological sites and museums, Nature tourism, The places of the heart Tags:
The Cusa quarries, which take their name from the owner of the land on which they are located, are part of the Archaeological Park of Selinunte located in the territory of Campobello di Mazara, in the province of Trapani, about 13 km north-west of the Selinunte ruins. . In use since the 6th century BC. until the defeat of the Greeks by the Carthaginians in 409 BC, the quarries were indispensable in the construction of the city of Selinunte and its temples, which today are among the most popular destinations for national and international tourists in Sicily. The site gives something mystical to all those who stop to observe it: it is as if time had stopped at 409 BC. after the abrupt and sudden interruption of the works due to the impending war event. It almost seems that the construction site is still in efficiency and that the extraction, processing and transport of the column drums must and can resume at any moment.
The Cusa quarries are one of the strongest testimonies of the laborious past in Sicily, art and history that merge and there are properties in the Trapani area. One of the destinations not to be missed on your holidays.
The Cusa quarries are one of the strongest testimonies of the laborious past in Sicily, art and history that merge and there are properties in the Trapani area. One of the destinations not to be missed on your holidays.
Semi-finished column drums
Detail of the quarries
Studying certain historical moments, have you ever imagined how events have evolved, as a sequence of cinematic scenes that follow one another or as a series of photographs that run through your mind? And it is precisely in north-western Sicily, in the former fief of Baron Cusa in the Latomie district (which in Greek means "cave") or that the Arabs called "Ramuxara", that there is like the petrified scene of the construction site 2500 years ago , a construction site where drums were extracted for the construction of Temples G, C and F of the Greek-Sicilian colony of Selinunte. There are some ready to be extracted, others still inside the mother-rock and some as just extracted and ready for transport.
The quarries have remained immobile and unchanged since 409 BC. to date and patiently await your visit. You cannot miss such an accurate historical testimony in the heart of north-western Sicily, the flagship of world tourism.
The quarries have remained immobile and unchanged since 409 BC. to date and patiently await your visit. You cannot miss such an accurate historical testimony in the heart of north-western Sicily, the flagship of world tourism.
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Rosmarino: Exquisite house located within a large estate planted with citrus and olive trees. Its location close to the town of Castelvetrano is an excellent starting point for visiting the wonders of Western Sicily, the heart of tourism on the island, but also an excellent destination for a holiday dedicated to relaxation and the sounds of Sicilian nature while take a dip in its delightful infinity pool or relax comfortably in the cool of the gazebo in the garden.
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Profumo di Mare: Breathtaking villa facing the sea, east of one of the main points of interest for tourism in Sicily: San Vito Lo Capo! Located in the Cornino bay, defined as the Caribbean of the Mediterranean, let yourself be lulled by the sea breeze and the Sicilian colors and scents that will quietly inebriate your senses.