Monte Adranone is a mountain rising 899 metres above sea level in the north of the comune of Sambuca di Sicilia. At the summit of the mountain are the remains of the ancient city of Adranon, one of the more important archaeological sites in Sicily.

Adranon was settled at the beginning of the 5th century BC, destroyed during the 3rd century BC, according to data from archaeological excavations. The city is distinct from the city of the same name in eastern Sicily and is possibly mentioned by Diodorus Siculus in his account of the First Punic War. The city, reburied after the archaeological excavations, extended over rough, undulating terrain which becomes a terrace towards the southwest. In the area around the entrance to the archaeological area, is the necropolis, containing the monumental Tomba della Regina. Further towards the summit of Monte Adranone, there are the walls of the fortified part of the city, the artisans' quarter and a sanctuary surrounded by a temenos (sacred area), with a sacellum in front of it, where votive offerings were deposited. At the very top of the mountain is the acropolis.

Numerous votive offerings have been recovered from the city of Adranon, as well as amphorae, terracottas, busts of divinities, Attic pottery and bronze items. Many of these discoveries are on display in the Palazzo Panitteri Archaeological Museum, located in the historic centre of Sambuca di Sicilia.

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

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

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User Reviews

Francesco Tumbarello (5 months ago)
Enchanting landscape, fantastic flora and fauna. Stunning and free archaeological area.
Otiv (16 months ago)
I expected to find a very bad and dangerous road but the road was very easy to travel (when compared to other secondary roads). I expected to find a large archaeological area and I was right. I didn't expect the absolute neglect of the place, very tall (150 cm) and dense grass. I had trouble finding secondary routes and digs, at one point I was lost. The caretaker at the exit told me that this year there had been some delays in cleaning, I didn't quite understand what he meant. Eternal panorama, ethereal place
Emanuela Raviotta (19 months ago)
The archaeological area in itself is very interesting and fascinating, it is very large, the paths are easily accessible and the panorama is very pleasant. With the exception of a fairly recent fence at the entrance, the rest of the complex is left abandoned: the communication supports faded or completely illegible, non-existent lighting, broken or degraded street lamps and scaffolding. Sin! However, a visit is certainly pleasant!
eledda gmail (2 years ago)
Complesso archeologico antichissimo e interessante ben tenuto e ben presentato in panorama brullo e desolato. Impressionante vedere come i primi popoli autoctoni dell’isola si installassero in zone così impervie. L’insediamento è sulla sommità di un monte che ha una posizione strategica difensiva con ampia visuale di tutto il territorio circostante. Il paesaggio stesso, così aspro, vale una visita. Ma arrivarci è veramente difficile: ho trovato difficoltoso portare la macchina su per tornanti in certi punti ripidi e stretti su strada con numerose buche. Alla fine ho lasciato l’auto in uno spiazzo e ho percorso il resto della salita a piedi. Oggi c’era un vento gelido da staccarti le orecchie, ma mi immagino che in estate ci sia un sole che spacca le pietre, nessuna zona di riparo all’ombra per la visita. Per tutte queste ragioni, andarci prevenuti. La visita è a entrata gratuita e prima di andarci è bene andare al museo archeologico di Sambuca, pure gratuito, che ha una collezione dal sito e spiegazione molto esaustiva. Il sito archeologico chiude alle 13.
Massimo Calcagno (2 years ago)
To get to the site, unfortunately you have to go along a narrow road that is steeply sloping, the last stretch of road is concrete, steep and narrow. But don't be discouraged as the site is worth it for both its archaeological significance and spectacular view. The ancient city of Adranon was a Greek-Punic settlement of the period between the eighth and third centuries BC. which was destroyed around the third century BC. The imposing ruins believed to reveal the strategic importance of the center as they dominated the road that connected Selinunte with Akragas The archaeological site consists of a first part where the Necropolis is located, where the monumental Tomb of the Queen is located. Continuing on, you can see the city walls, the artisan and commercial district and a Sanctuary surrounded by a temenos, a sacred enclosure, and preceded by a chapel, where the votive offerings of the faithful were collected. On the top is the sacred area of ​​the Acropolis.
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