Erice
Erice
Èrici (Sicilian) | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Erice | |
Erice and the Castle of Venus, with Trapani and the Tyrrhenian coast beyond. | |
Erice Location of Erice in Italy Erice Erice (Sicily) | |
| Coordinates: 38°2′13″N 12°35′11″E / 38.03694°N 12.58639°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Sicily |
| Province | Trapani (TP) |
| Frazioni | Ballata, Casa Santa, Crocefissello, Napola, Pizzolungo, Rigaletta, San Cusumano, Torretta |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Daniela Toscano |
| Area | |
• Total | 47 km2 (18 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 751 m (2,464 ft) |
| Population (31 October 2025) | |
• Total | 25,661 |
| • Density | 550/km2 (1,400/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Ericini |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 91016 |
| Dialing code | 0923 |
| Patron saint | Maria Santissima di Custonaci |
| Saint day | Last Wednesday of August |
| Website | Official website |
Erice (Italian: [ˈɛːritʃe]; Sicilian: Èrici [ˈɛːɾɪʃɪ]) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Trapani, Sicily, Italy. The town’s historic centre occupies the site of the ancient city of Eryx, an important religious and cultural centre in antiquity, long associated with pilgrimage. Erice hosts international scientific and peace initiatives.
Situated on the summit of Monte Erice, the city retains its Elymian-Punic fortifications and medieval layout and architecture, with few modern interventions. Its elevated position historically offered strategic control over the Strait of Sicily and the western coastline.
Erice is home to the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, an advanced education and research centre associated with international declarations on scientific responsibility and peace. The city’s economy combines conference- and education-related activity with heritage and cultural tourism, alongside agriculture and enotourism in the surrounding area.
The municipality includes both the hilltop centre and a number of modern lower districts along the Tyrrhenian coast and contiguous with the provincial capital Trapani, as well as hamlets in the Erice DOC wine-producing foothills. Erice is a member of I Borghi più belli d'Italia (The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy) and has at times been mentioned in local media as a potential candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site status.