The temple of Segesta 'catches the breath'

The Greek temple of Segesta is one of  Sicily’s untouched sites of antiquity. Set deep in the countryside it is, as writer John Julius Norwich says, one of 'two architectural masterpieces (in Sicily) which, viewed from afar as well as in close up, still [has] the power to catch the breath’.

Wandering the temple on a  summer's day

And one summer’s morning this July I rediscovered the ‘breathtaking’ beauty of this late 5^th century Doric temple in its near pristine rural setting; enjoyed without the intense heat of a Sicilian summer or the enthusiasm of the summer crowds.

Wandering through the temple was off limits this time; a light weight wooden fence encircled the imposing structure. But, to stroll around: pausing, looking, listening and just taking in the quiet beauty of the temple and its setting was fabulous.

Columns, summer blooms, ravines, 'isolation' and

Clear blue skies; open distant views; worked green fields close by; nearby hills and rocky ravines; light golden stone; soaring, mighty columns; olive trees; pink and white oleander in bloom; flowering fico d’India, the welcoming warmth of Sicily in early summer; and, to borrow John Julius Norwich words  ‘the grandeur, the isolation, and the silence’ of it all.

It is other-worldly.

Salve,

Suzanne