Colonne di San Basilio

Lentini, Italy

The Colonne di San Basilio (Columns of St Basil) are an ancient Greek structure, which take their name from the mountain of San Basilio where they are located, in the territory of Lentini.

The summit of the mountain shows trances of ancient settlement from the prehistoric period, with clear traces of the postholes of a hut, probably belonging to the Casteluccio culture.

A little way away is the imposing structure itself, carved in the limestone rock and measuring 18 x 16 metres, with 32 columns designed to support rock slabs. Part of the structure has collapsed, but many of the columns remain standing.

The structure was later reused by the Byzantines, who converted it into a church. Some traces of religious frescoes are even visible on some of the columns, but they are not legible.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Unnamed Road, Lentini, Italy

See all sites in Lentini

Details

Founded: 5th century BC
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Andrea G. Calí (3 months ago)
Lovely but sadly abandoned temple

paolomarc66 (2 years ago)
Very interesting site due to the presence of countless Heroa, Greek sanctuaries dedicated to the cult of heroes, used both as a temple of veneration and as tombs of the hero himself. It should be visited several times to discover all the hidden beauties of both archaeological, geological and naturalistic interest. The site is located on an ancient, partially collapsed volcano and the first certain evidence of man's presence dates back to the Copper Age.

Salvatore Casa' (4 years ago)
Sicilian Magical Place

Mauro Manca (4 years ago)
Beautiful and magical full of history

Vincenzo Agliata (6 years ago)
Extraordinary mix of history, geology, art, archeology,

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright discopalace

Historic Site of the week

Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.