Venere del Mare: Testimonianze del culto nel trapanese

This contribution focuses on the archaeological evidence that has emerged in the area of western Sicily that is attributable to the cult of Astarte/Aphrodite/ Venus and connected to the sanctuary of Venus Ericina, the sanctuaries identified in Motya (Temenos del Cothon and Western Fortress), and the private cults of Lilibeo, from the sixth century BCE through late antiquity. Specific finds from ex- cavations carried out by the University of Rome La Sapienza, the Superintendency of Trapani, and the Superintendency of the Sea of Palermo allow us to follow the perpetuation of the cult of a very powerful and beloved deity, Mediterranea, over the centuries, surviving even into the Christian era, and in those centuries, adapting from time to time to different populations and cultures.