Overview
The Greek historiographer Herodotus, in the 5th century B.C., tells of the ancient city of Minoa, allegedly founded by the inhabitants of Selinunte and named Heraclea in honour of the demigod hero. Archaeological findings, however, tell a much older and extremely fascinating story of the area. The archaeological site is in a magnificent location, in a nature reserve, on the promontory of Capo Bianco (at 75 m), a white cliff (steep escarpment) of limestone rock that juts out into the sea, sloping westwards towards the Plàtani valley and eastwards towards the beach. Fragments found in the layers underneath the Archaic Necropolis from the 6th century B.C. date the origin of the urban settlement back to prehistoric times, specifically to the Neolithic period (from around 8,000 to 3,500 B.C.), while ancient coins found testify to the presence of a Phoenician colony. In the earliest historical sources, the city is referred to by three names: Macara, or the city of Makar, the Phoenician Heracles; Minoa, which, according to legend, was founded by the King of Crete Minos, who chased Daedalus here; and finally Eraclea, a Spartan colony, confirming the place's dedication to the great Greek hero. After the Phoenicians and Spartans, the city became a subcolony of Selinunte in the 5th century B.C. and reached the height of its development in the Hellenistic period (late 4th century B.C.). Long disputed between the Greeks and Carthaginians for its strategic border position, it changed hands several times until, in 210 B.C., it was conquered by the Romans. In the 1st century B.C. it was definitively abandoned, possibly due to a landslide that dragged the southern part of the settlement and walls into the sea. Archaeological investigations in the early 20th century brought to light part of the residential quarter, with legible traces in two successive stratifications, of the Archaic and Hellenistic city, the northern section of the city walls, with the remains of towers and gates, and the beautiful theatre with the proscenium open towards the sea (partly hidden by a protective structure). In the Antiquarium, at the entrance to the archaeological area, material from the Archaic and Hellenistic dwellings and necropolis is on display. The village, located lower than the archaeological site, hosts tourist and accommodation facilities, including a campsite, shaded by a eucalyptus forest. The beach stretches in an amphitheatre shape up to the rock walls of Cape Bianco, which, with its mud baths, offers bathers free, natural cosmetic treatments in the open air.
92011 Eraclea Minoa AG, Italia
