Editing Erice (section)

{{other uses}}
{{Expand Italian|date=January 2022|topic=geo}}
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name                = Erice
| official_name       = Città di Erice
| native_name         = {{native name|el|Èryx}}
| image_skyline       = Erice - Stefano Pannucci.jpg
| imagesize           = 
| image_alt           = 
| image_caption       = Erice and the Castle of Venus, with Trapani and the Tyrrhenian coast beyond.
| image_shield        = 
| shield_alt          = 
| image_map           = 
| map_alt             = 
| map_caption         = 
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt     = 
| coordinates         = {{coord|38|2|13|N|12|35|11|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| region              = [[Sicily]]
| province            = [[Province of Trapani|Trapani]] (TP)
| frazioni            = Ballata, Casa Santa, Crocefissello, [[Napola (Erice)|Napola]], Pizzolungo, Rigaletta, San Cusumano, Torretta
| mayor_party         = 
| mayor               = Daniela Toscano 
| area_footnotes      = 
| area_total_km2      = 47
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total    = 26,441
| population_as_of    = 31 December 2023
| pop_density_footnotes = 
| population_demonym  = Ericini
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m         = 751
| twin1               = 
| twin1_country       = 
| saint               = Maria Santissima di Custonaci
| day                 = Last Wednesday of August
| postal_code         = 91016
| area_code           = 0923
| website             = {{official website|http://www.comune.erice.tp.it/}}
| footnotes           = 
}}

'''Erice''' (Italian pronunciation: [ˈɛːritʃe]; Sicilian: ''Èrici'' [ˈɛːɾɪʃɪ]) is a [[comune]] (municipality) contiguous with the provincial capital [[Trapani]], in western [[Sicily]]. Its historic core occupies the site of the ancient city of [[Eryx (Sicily)|Eryx]], one of the most significant archaeological and religious centres in pre-Roman western Sicily.<ref name="LietzZirone2017">{{Cite book | last = Lietz | first = Beatrice | chapter = Erice. Fonti storiche e archeologiche | editor1-last = Ampolo | editor1-first = Carmine | title = La città e le città della Sicilia antica: atti delle ottave giornate internazionali di studi sull’area elima e la Sicilia occidentale nel contesto mediterraneo (Pisa, 18–21 December 2012) | publisher = Quasar | year = 2022 | isbn = 978-88-5491-263-2 | language = it | id = hal-03908782}}</ref><ref name="DVC">De Vincenzo, Salvatore (2015). "The fortification wall of Eryx: A new definition of the settlement's construction phases and topographic development in light of recent excavations." ''Analysis Archaeologica'', vol. 1, pp. 103–116. [https://www.academia.edu/31499089/Academia.edu link]</ref>

Located on the summit of [[Monte Erice]], the city developed around a site that later became a prominent religious and military stronghold for the [[Carthaginians]] and [[Roman Republic|Romans]]. It retains its [[Middle Ages|medieval]] layout and architecture, with few modern interventions, and occupies a natural vantage point that historically offered strategic control over the [[Strait of Sicily]] and the western coastline.<ref name="Tusa2017">{{cite book |last=Tusa |first=Matteo |title=Erice: Planning for Life |year=2017 |publisher=Self-published |location=Erice |isbn=9788892667327 |language=en}}</ref>

The municipality includes both the hilltop centre and a number of modern lower districts, some of which extend to the [[Tyrrhenian Sea|Tyrrhenian]] coast, as well as small agricultural ''frazioni'' (hamlets) on the surrounding foothills.

Erice is a member of ''[[I Borghi più belli d'Italia]]'' (The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy), an association that recognises towns of notable historical and architectural interest.<ref>{{cite web |title=Erice |url=https://borghipiubelliditalia.it/borgo/erice/ |website=I Borghi più belli d’Italia |access-date=21 May 2025 |language=it}}</ref> It has at times been mentioned in the local media as a potential candidate for [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] status.<ref>{{cite web |title=La splendida città di Erice (TP) continua a bussare alla porta dell'Unesco |url=https://www.guidasicilia.it/notizia/la-splendida-citta-di-erice-tp-continua-a-bussare-alla-porta-dell-unesco/11867 |website=Guidasicilia |date=10 September 2004 |language=it |access-date=21 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Erice si candida a diventare patrimonio dell’Umanità |url=https://www.agoravox.it/Erice-si-candida-a-diventare.html |website=Agoravox |date=8 November 2010 |language=it |access-date=21 May 2025}}</ref>