The Strada dei Templi leads from the eastern temples over to the Acropolis. On its way it winds past the village of Marinella and crosses the valley of the Gorgo di Cottone near the silted-up ancient harbor. The visitor approaches the east side of the wall of the Acropolis with its massive square stone blocks and then comes to the watchman's lodge, where our tour begins.
The Acropolis is ringed by a defensive wall, which on the east side certainly dates from soon after the place was founded in the seventh-sixth centuries B.C., and on the other sides from the Carthaginian period, post-409 B.C. The Acropolis covers an area of 17 hectares/42 acres and is pear-shaped in plan. The lay-out of the buildings is governed by a road running north-south and one from east-west, crossing at right angles. The remainder of the area was also crossed by roads at right angles in the manner of the "Hippodamic system", although this was before the time of Hippodamos, after whom the system was named.
The southeastern quarter of the Acropolis is taken up with the temples which replaced small shrines dating from the time when the town was founded. They stand in two temenos areas, in the south Temples O and A, in the north Temples C and D, all peripteral temples, i.e. surrounded by columns at equal distances one from the other. Between A and C, set slightly to the east, can be seen the remains of the little Temple B, not built until the Hellenistic period.
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Ancient building at the Acropolis in Selinunte.
Ruins of the Selinunte Acropolis.
