Cave di Cusa

Campobello di Mazara, Italy

Cave di Cusa was an ancient stone quarry in Sicily. This site was quarried beginning in the first half of the 6th century BC and its stone was used to construct the temples in the ancient Greek city Selinunte. It was abandoned in 409 BC when the city was captured by the Carthaginians. It is now an official Sicilian Archeological Zone and a popular tourist site.

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Campobello di Mazara, Italy
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Details

Founded: 559 BC
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Phil Bradbury (4 months ago)
Enormous sections of stone columns abandoned mid manufacture. Fascinating.
Eben Cooper (2 years ago)
Great site if your an archaeologist and pretty interesting if you have an interest in old stuff. Seems a bit past it's tourist peak but the paths are maintained and the park is great being so empty. Easy to explore and have the place to yourselves!
Mike Tommasi (2 years ago)
Quarry used in ancient times to prepare stones for temple constructiin
john silk (2 years ago)
A very quiet place in the country outside Selenunte which was in ancient times the quarry for stone for the temples of that city. The huge drums for the columns of these buildings were cut from solid rock. When the city was sacked ( I think by Hannible who was a bit of a bother boy in bygone times) the workers just downed tools and headed for the hills. As you would. In several places column drums have just been left abandoned where they lay. Others are still partially cut from the rock but never finished. The site seems little visited and is ideal for a picnic. There is a parking area outside the site and easy walking paths. It is best visited by car though I believe some local tours also take it in. If you have time for some peace and quiet, check it out.
Csongor Kristo (2 years ago)
Amazing place. Worth go visit.
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Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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