Mozia Island in Italy, Sicily resort
Rating: 7,6/10 (110 votes)  Mozia Island is a small island located in the Stagnone archipelago. The total area of the island is 45 hectares. In the XII century BC. the island was an important trading point for sailors and merchants, as well as a kind of unloading pier and commercial base. In 397 BC. Dionysius of Syracuse destroyed the island's settlements, and a year later, Mozia was conquered by the Carthaginians. However, at that time the island had already lost its former significance, and there was only one settlement on it. Nowadays, here you can see the ruins of villas that have survived from ancient settlements. In the XVII – In the 18th century, a number of archaeological excavations were carried out on the island. In the early 20th century, the island was acquired by archaeologist and heir to the British family, Joseph Whitaker. During the excavations, Whitaker discovered part of the ancient necropolis, the Phoenician-Punic sanctuary of Cappidazzu, and the fortifications of the South and North gates. Soon a museum was built on the island, which in our time was divided into two sections: in the old – items are stored personally discovered by Whitaker, and in the modern – recent finds. Here you can see vases, terracotta items, pottery, a marble statue of Apollo dating from the 5th century BC, and a sculptural composition in the form of lions tormenting a bull. On the north coast There is an ancient necropolis on the island, which is a vast rocky territory with pits in which urns with the ashes of the deceased were kept. From the 7th century BC urns began to be stored in the Tophet Mozia temple. In the central part of the island, the House of Mosaics was discovered, with a small courtyard surrounded by a covered gallery. The floor of the gallery was decorated with mosaics of white, gray and black stones – only a small part of it has survived to this day. Between the South Gate and the House of Mosaics was the Cazermetta building, from which only the southern part has survived to this day.    We also recommend reading Nature Reserve”Cavagrande del Cassibile” in Italy, resort of Sicily Topic: Mozia Island in Italy, Sicily resort. |
