Once upon a time, there was Morgantina. And it’s still there, twenty centuries later… on the plateau in the heart of rural Sicily, where today fascinated tourists wander among its ruins. Crumbling red stones, remnants of pavements, columns, and, surprisingly, sparkling shells peeking out from every brick! Yes, because the center of Sicily is nothing more than a seabed pushed up to the surface by millions of ancient earthquakes… and the fossils it dragged with it became building blocks for the city of Morgete in the 11th century BC. A trip to discover this “city of shells” is a must-see on your Sicilian itinerary.

The city of Morgete

The Morgetians were people from southern Italy who, crossing the Sicilian Strait, explored the island’s interior under the guidance of King Morgete. During their advance, they pushed the “native” Sicans westward and took possession of their lands, in the area between Enna and Aidone.

It was 1100 BC, and the city of Morgete was built during that period; it would be abandoned ten centuries later, after alternating glories from the tyrannies of Gela and Syracuse to the slave wars, and to the new Roman conquests. During the Roman age, in the 1st century AD, the city was gradually oppressed by constant slave revolts, making it unsafe. This led to the population’s flight.

The first traces of Morgantina, now forgotten, emerged in the 19th century, but it was only in 1955—during archaeological studies by Princeton University—that excavations began to truly bring it back to light.

Visiting Morgantina…

The map of Morgantina is very extensive, and a clear first impression of it is best seen from the top of the embankment where the theater was excavated. The tour sections of this incredible city include: the agora, the eastern hill, the San Francesco district, the Drago district, San Francesco Bisconti and the Sanctuary, the North Sanctuary, the western hill, the Necropolis, the Papa hill, the House of Eupolemus, the Agnese district, the northern thermal baths, and the west gate. A challenging route that is hard to complete. Here are the most beautiful things you should admire, among so many.

• The agora – certainly the best-preserved part of the site. A large square located at the center of the still clearly visible street layouts overlooks the ruins of a gymnasium, a monumental fountain, several shops; a staircase leads to the lower part of the square where the assembly hall (ekklesiasterion) once stood.
• The theater – horseshoe-shaped, it likely dates back to the 3rd century BC, and a dedication to Dionysus can still be read engraved on one of the steps. The acoustics are still exceptional today!
• The sanctuary—dedicated to Demetra and Kore—includes a pool for offerings, a sacred enclosure, a granary, a furnace, and the building of judgment that housed the “sacred fire” or prytaneion.
• The neighborhoods—these are the remains of houses and villas that still preserve splendid mosaics, pools, and perimeter walls; some houses have been identified thanks to very specific symbols (the House of the the Judge, the House of the Millstone, the House of the Capitals, the House of the Gold Coins, etc.)
• The hill—at the top of the embankment overlooking the city, the remains of sacred buildings and chamber tombs have been found, suggesting a sacred area of the old city.

Finally… the all-natural spectacle you may enjoy from Morgantina’s main avenue, on clear days, is the massive body of Mount Etna volcano, looming mightily against the blue sky to the east!

A museum itinerary

Morgantina is part of a multi-site museum itinerary. A single ticket includes this site, the Aidone Archaeological Museum (where the famous, gigantic “Goddess of Morgantina” is housed), and the Roman mosaics of Piazza Armerina. A short drive from the site (about 40 minutes) will let you easily get to the city of Enna. (PHOTOS BY G. MUSUMECI)