Himera, a (almost) secret story of Sicily
Sicily is an open-air museum, full of archaeological sites and corners rich in history…all waiting to be discovered. One stop to put on your agenda during your trip to Sicily is Himera. It is an ancient Greek colony, nowadays on the territory of Termini Imerese, in the province of Palermo. The city covered a large area, including both the acropolis and the lower town, and still preserves numerous remains of public and private buildings, walls, gates, temples, necropolis and tombs. Are you ready to set off with Sicilian Secrets?
An island that shines thanks to its treasures, this is Sicily. Those who love history and culture will fall in love with one of the archaeological sites that takes you back to the past to make you live the atmosphere of the Ancient Greek, this is the magic of the stones of Himera. Founded in the 7th century B.C. by the Chalcidans and some Syracusan exiles, it was a colony that was the centerpiece of countless battles and power intrigues until, in 409 B.C., the Carthaginians destroyed it. After a few years, the exiles moved a few miles to rebuild their lives, so they established the settlement of Thermai Himeraìai, today called Termini Imerese.
Excavations, a hidden treasure
Himera is a treasure chest where digging reveals history. This place began to emerge in 1861 when part of the Doric temple (Temple of Victory) was unearthed, to follow – between the 1920s and 1930s, investigations of the eastern necropolis and further investigations of the temple began. Came the time of the sacred area, the upper town and the lower town, and then continued to the peripheral areas of the settlement and so on until the present day when, between September 2008 and June 2011, thanks to an intense investigation activity at the area of the western necropolis of the Buonfornello plain, about 9,500 tombs as well as 18,000 archaeological finds and 6,000 skeletons were brought to light.
Do you know…? Himera could boast of counting among its citizens real celebrities! These included the lyric poet Stesicorus and several athletes who won the Olympic Games.
What to visit in Himera
Those who go to Himera should be ready for a unique visit. Currently open to the public are the area of the Temple of Victory and the area of the upper city, which offer an articulated panorama of the main aspects of a Greek colonial reality of the Archaic and Classical periods: monumental buildings, urban layout and living culture. One of the most iconic sites is the sacred area of the Temenos of Athena within which a series of cult buildings have been found. To the side, the archaeological site extends southward, and on it sits the Archaic-age settlement, with a layout dating from the second half of the 7th century BC, of which only a few remains are preserved. The visitable blocks tell much about ancient town planning and are added to those on the eastern side on the extreme slopes of the city.
The Temple of Victory, star of Himera, was erected in 480 BC and was probably dedicated to Athena or Zeus. It has numerous points in common with the Temple of Athena in Syracuse, for this reason the same date is estimated. Excavations have uncovered fragments of weapons and armor, including a pair of bronze shinguards now on display at the Regional Archaeological Museum in Palermo.
…and finally…
Finally, also worth a stop is the Antiquarium of Himera, a museum inaugurated in 1984 and reopened in 2001. This is where the most important artifacts of this colony are kept: start with the section dedicated to the topography of the city and then discover the history of the excavations and many other curiosities to learn more about the life of the ancient inhabitants, their customs, rituals, marriages and funerary traditions. Get your camera ready: before you leave, immortalize two real gems, namely the wreck of the Kalura and the mosaic of the villa of Settefrati, a small district of Cefalù.
A face-to-face with the history of Sicily…off the map!
