Editing Erice (section)

==Geography==
The geography of Erice encompasses its hilltop historic centre, a range of modern districts, transport infrastructure linking it to regional hubs, and a varied landscape shaped by elevation, climate, and land use.

=== Location and setting ===
Erice is located approximately 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the regional capital, [[Palermo]]. Its historic centre sits at an elevation of about 750 metres (2,460 ft) atop Monte Erice, while the wider comune extends to the coastline, encompassing a varied topography of mountainous, hilly, and coastal terrain.
[[File:Erice Municipal Districts.svg|thumb|An infographic showing the different districts that make up the comune of Erice, Sicily]]

=== Districts and Urban Structure ===  
The comune comprises 12 officially recognised ''frazioni'' (hamlets or districts): Adragna, Baglio Rizzo, Ballata, Casa Santa, Crocefissello, Lenzi, Napola, Pizzolungo, Rigaletta, San Cusumano, Specchia, and Torretta.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stradario del Comune di Erice |url=https://www.comune.erice.tp.it/it/page/stradario-comune-di-erice |website=Comune di Erice |access-date=21 May 2025 |language=it}}</ref> Historically, the municipal territory also included neighbouring towns such as Valderice and San Vito Lo Capo, but its present boundaries were finalised in 1955.

Until the mid-20th century, Erice’s territory was primarily rural, with an economy based on agriculture, grazing, and scattered farm settlements. From the 1950s onward, rapid and largely unregulated urban expansion reshaped the lower districts. Casa Santa emerged as the municipality’s administrative and commercial hub, while the historic centre transitioned into a centre for tourism.<ref name="Tusa2017" />

===Infrastructure and Accessibility===
Erice is accessible by road from Trapani, connected via SP31 and SP3. The A29 motorway provides onward links to Palermo to the east. 

Air travel is served by two nearby airports: [[Vincenzo Florio Airport]] (Trapani–Birgi), located about 29 km (18 mi) south of Erice, and [[Falcone–Borsellino Airport]] (Palermo), approximately 90 km (56 mi) away.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trapani Airport |url=https://www.airgest.it/en/ |website=Airgest |access-date=21 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Palermo Airport |url=https://www.aeroportodipalermo.it/ |website=GESAP Palermo Airport |access-date=21 May 2025}}</ref> A new railway station at Trapani-Birgi Airport, part of a broader €13 billion in Sicilian rail infrastructure funded by Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan, will connect the airport to Trapani and Palermo via the restored and electrified Palermo–Trapani line.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ecco come sarà la nuova stazione all'aeroporto di Trapani |url=https://www.tp24.it/2024/08/18/aeroporto-di-trapani/ecco-come-sara-la-nuova-stazione-all-aeroporto-di-trapani/207709# |website=TP24.it |date=18 Aug 2024 |access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref>

Bus transport between Erice and Trapani is fully integrated, with metropolitan routes providing continuous service across both municipalities. These services include connections to Trapani-Birgi Airport and Palermo.<ref>{{cite web |title=Erice transit guide |url=https://moovitapp.com/index/en/public_transit-Erice-Palermo-site_50375666-2804 |website=Moovit |publisher=Moovit |access-date=2025-05-22}}</ref>

The redevelopment of Trapani’s cruise terminal and island ferry facilities—closely linked to the tourism economy in Erice's historic centre—provides access for passengers arriving via the [[Aegadian Islands]] and Mediterranean cruise routes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Intitolata a Francesco Bosco la sala della Stazione Marittima del porto di Trapani |url=https://www.tp24.it/2025/05/06/marittimi/stazione-marittima-trapani-francesco-bosco/ |website=TP24 |date=6 May 2025 |access-date=22 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Trapani, nuova sala per la Stazione Marittima: omaggio al comandante Bosco |url=https://itacanotizie.it/ |website=Itaca Notizie |publisher=Itaca Notizie |date=6 May 2025 |access-date=22 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Trapani’s UNESCO bid underlines burgeoning tourist attractions of secret Western Sicily |url=https://www.italianinsider.it/ |website=The Italian Insider |date=19 December 2023 |access-date=22 May 2025}}</ref>

A cable car (''funivia'') runs a regular service that connects the lower district of Casa Santa to the historic centre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Funivia Erice |url=https://www.funiviaerice.it/en/ |website=Funivia Erice |publisher=Funivia Erice |access-date=21 May 2025}}</ref> While this has improved vertical mobility, broader accessibility challenges persist in Erice’s historic centre. Steep gradients, narrow streets, and uneven paving limit access for people with disabilities, and recent efforts—such as the limited introduction of electric vehicles—reflect the complex balance between conservation priorities and inclusive design.<ref name="conservation" />

The medieval structure of the historic centre—characterised by narrow lanes, irregular blocks, and the absence of a central piazza—is described in greater detail in the [[#Medieval Period|History section]].

=== Topography, Climate and Land Use ===
Erice experiences a [[Mediterranean climate]], with heat moderated by its elevation.<ref>{{cite web |title=In Erice, Italy, a world of mist and stone |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/travel/2013/06/08/erice-italy-world-mist-and-stone/4WogckqWggozZsKzuvRPXK/story.html |website=The Boston Globe |date=8 June 2013 |access-date=22 May 2025}}</ref> Summers are warm and dry, while winters are cool and wetter. The hilltop location of Erice results in more frequent fog and lower average temperatures than the coastal areas, contributing to a microclimate distinct from nearby Trapani.

The hillsides around the comune support viticulture under the official Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) designation Erice DOC, established in 2004, which allows the cultivation of both native varieties such as Nero d’Avola and Grillo, and international ones like Syrah and Chardonnay.<ref>{{cite web |title=Disciplinare di Produzione - Erice DOC |url=https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/3330 |website=Ministero dell’Agricoltura |access-date=22 May 2025 |language=it}}</ref> The Erice area is noted for its production of high-quality extra virgin olive oil, primarily from the Nocellara del Belice and Cerasuola cultivars, which are well-adapted to the region's arid summer conditions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Olio Extravergine di Oliva della Sicilia Occidentale |url=https://www.slowfood.it/olio-extravergine-di-oliva-della-sicilia-occidentale/ |website=Slow Food Italia |access-date=22 May 2025 |language=it}}</ref> These traditional crops form the basis of a rural economy closely linked to Erice’s microclimatic diversity, which also supports limited cultivation of almonds and figs on the lower slopes.

Much of the area around the historic centre is wooded with Mediterranean species such as [[Aleppo pine]] (Pinus halepensis), holm oak (Quercus ilex), and [[cypress]], interspersed with underbrush of myrtle, heather, and broom. Two particularly notable green spaces include the Sacro Bosco—a semi-natural sacred grove with mythological and monastic associations—and the Bosco dei Runzi, a forested area on the northeastern slope known for its biodiversity and shaded walking trails.<ref>{{cite web |title=Erice Vetta – Il bosco e il Sacro |url=https://www.cepolina.com/Erice-natura.htm |website=Cepolina |access-date=22 May 2025}}</ref>