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Visit Realmonte
Located between the mouths of the river Platani and Salso, Realmonte is situated near Agrigento in south-western Sicily. Realmonte itself is a "young" small town, dating from the mid 17th century, but the same thing can not be said of the area in which it is located, with traces of prehistoric settlment and an important roman villa...
Pebble culture in Realmonte region
Indeed, archaeological discoveries here have changed the economic structure of the small town, from a focus on agriculture has changed to being a prime tourist destination, not only for its beaches, but also for the archaeological discoveries which have brought a fundamental contribution to the knowledge of humanity's development.
It has been shown by studies that during the Quaternary period many links existed between Africa and Sicily, and the comparisons found in Realmonte and “Capo Rossello” have uncovered human remains belonging to a type of Australopithecus "Africanus," the ancestor of the genus “Homo”, while some pebbles dating from the Palaeolithic have also been identified from the so-called "Pebble Culture," which is considered the oldest form of human culture, dating back in Italy about 750,000 years. (The Pebble Culture is the earliest stage of the prehistoric Stone Age.)
Roman Villa of Realmonte
Realmonte can also boast of another unique archaeological find - a Roman villa unearthed thanks to the arrival of Japanese archaeologists. The Villa is located a few kilometers from the “Scala dei Turchi”, near the sea, and shows the importance of the coast in Roman times not only for economic and commercial reasons but also from the residential point of view. The discovery of a Roman villa on the coast of Realmonte, about 12 km west of “Agrigentum”, created great surprise and excitement, in particular the discovery of "sectilia pavimenta”, or black and white mosaic floors, one of which depicts Neptune, the god of the sea, with the trident, who rides a dolphin, framed into geometric borders. Roman coins, one dating back to the Emperor Domitian, have also been found.
The proximity to the sea shows that it was a summer villa. The motifs depicted in the mosaics are clearly inspired by Sicilian mythology, as demonstrates the scene of the fight between Scylla and Charybdis. Of great artistic value is the "mosaic of the Dolphin", which is a proof of the research of ornamental motifs, in a villa that belonged to some important personage of the Roman aristocracy. According to scholars, the mosaic would be the work of a local art school, probably of “Agrigentum”. The villa was also equipped with a thermal swimming-pool, which usually was present only in the "Domus" of the richest citizens.
The villa covers an area of 5000 square meters, but its structures are developing further north. The villa dates from the late first century AD. The structures now brought to light are a series of square or rectangular rooms arranged around a peristyle with five square columns on each side. The peristyle was surrounded by a covered passageway, which opened onto the different rooms. In the northern wing there is a large central room, with traces of “opus tessellatum” on the floor, equipped with a large opening on the south side, where the “tablinum” ( that is the main room, used for the receipt of guests) was found. At the sides, symmetrically arranged, there are two private smaller rooms, probably the "cubicula" (bedroom) with a floor in “opus sectile”, preceded by their ante-rooms with black and white geometric mosaic on the floors.
In the west wing of the villa are other important rooms, such as the "triclinium" (dining room), with mosaic floors in geometric black and white, with friezes and leaves. To the west of the "triclinium", a room features a floor mosaic in black and white, depicting in the central panel Poseidon with the trident, surrounded by dolphins. Around, stand various ornaments and other decorations depicting crenellated walls. The villa was surrounded by a wall that even reached the beach and it was certainly the enclosure , which came up the landing-stage. At the spa there is a corridor leading to the dressing room ("apodyterium") with a mosaic floor decorated with Scylla, who holds a rudder, surrounded by sea creatures. As in the mosaic of Poseidon, this also is adorned with decorative patterned friezes. The adjacent room with mosaic floor, was the "frigidarium" giving access to a circular room lined with marble; in the south wall a door led into a hallway from which they entered a small heated room (“calidarium”).
Elsewhere in Realmonte
We can conclude our trip with a visit to the archaeological site of the ancient town of Erbesso, which was located on the hill south of Realmonte, where today there is a lighthouse. Erbesso was the "store" of the Romans during the Punic War I, but was destroyed by them, and disappeared from history. The coast near Realmonte has a very diverse and rich vegetation, characterized by intense and varied colors. An area of great landscape interest is represented by the "Scala dei Turchi", consisting of layers down towards the sea that give it the appearance of a natural staircase.
Another ancient building in this area is the "Tower of Monterosso," a tower of Arab origin of the sixteenth century, still well preserved, located on the same hill where stands the “Scala dei Turchi”. The tower has a square plan of about 12 meters per side, divided into three rooms.
Finally, for those who love sea resorts, Realmonte has many beaches such as that of the “Scala dei Turchi” , which, as we said, is particularly striking for its form of natural staircase, with a succession of broad steps and terraces that slope down to the sea below . The "Gelonardo" beach is located east of the seaside resort of Siculiana Marina and characterized by a very long coastline, bordered by a cliff formed by banks of gypsum crystals which create a stunning play of light throughout the day. Finally, we mention the “Pergole” beaches between Siculiana Marina and Realmonte.
See also Realmonte history and etymology.
See the the Sicily travel guide for more places to visit in the same region as Realmonte.