| The town - Castelvetrano
Castelvetrano is situated in the Belice area, in the southern part of Trapani province. The history - Its origin is connected to the golden age of the town of Selinunte, of which it was an hamlet. Its name refers to the domination of the Romans, that made it a “castrum veteranorum”, a veterans citadel. To be seen - The historical centre and the most of its monuments gravitates on two main squares: Humbert I Square and Garibaldi Square. The last is surrounded by some important buildings, among which the Mother Church, of 1520, and Purgatorio Church (Purgatory Church) with its sumptuous face dating back to the half of XVII century. Next to it, there is the nineteenth-century theatre “Selinus”, still preserving the original curtain. Humbert I Square, embellished by the Ninfa Fountain (Nymph Fountain), opens on to the left of the church and let us also discover the bell-tower. Instead, not far from it, in Regina Margherita Square (Queen Margaret Square), the nude face of the Church of San Domenico (St. Dominic Church), hides a quite richer interior.
The Town Museum lodges a collection of finds from Selinunte, and, among these, also the Efebo Selinuntino (Ephebe of Selinunte): a V century B.C. bronze statue found in Selinunte. Distinguished from the built-up area, the Church of Santissima Trinita’ (Church of Most Holy Trinity) in Delia is a beautiful pattern of Arab Norman architecture. The inside, with a square plan, has a four-columned central dome. Not far away from here, between Marinella of Selinunte and Porto Palo, the charming Oriented Natural Reserve of the Mouth of Belice River. Events - If you are in the neighbourhood in the morning of Easter, you might seize the opportunity to watch the “Aurora” (Dawn), the traditional rite that celebrates the Resurrection of Christ. The climax is the meeting between Christ’s and Mary’s simulacrums, carried on shoulders. At the beginning, the Madonna statue is wrapped in a black mantle as symbol of mourning. A simulacrum, representing the Angel, comes three times near the Madonna, accompanied by three trumpet blasts. At the third blast, that symbolizes the announcement of Resurrection, the black cloak is dropped. Only then the Madonna meets Christ in a festivity atmosphere. To be tasted - The famous Brown Bread of Castelvetrano comes out of a singular mixing of two kinds of corn grown in Castelvetrano and Campobello di Mazara areas.
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