Walls of Timoleon, Ancient city walls in Gela, Italy.

The Walls of Timoleon are ancient city fortifications on the southern edge of Gela, in Sicily, running for around 1,300 feet (about 400 meters) along the boundary of the old Greek settlement. They consist of a stone base topped with clay brick sections and form part of a broader defensive system.

The walls were built between 339 and 317 BC, when Timoleon, a Corinthian commander, rebuilt Gela after its destruction by the Carthaginians in 405 BC. Agathocles later used them as a stronghold in his war against Carthage, and Hamilcar declined to attack them.

The upper sections of the walls were built with sun-dried clay bricks, a local method that reflects how Greek builders worked with what the land offered. Visitors who look closely can still see the difference between the stone base and the brick layers above.

The site is walkable, but sturdy footwear is a good idea since the ground is uneven throughout. Visiting in the morning is a reasonable choice, as there is little shade on the exposed parts of the walls.

The walls were found in February 1948 by Vincenzo Interlici, a farmer who owned a vegetable plot on the sand dunes and dug after dreaming of a hidden treasure. He struck large squared stone blocks, and the Agrigento antiquities authority then excavated under Pietro Griffo between 1948 and 1954. Interlici stayed on at the site as its unofficial custodian and storyteller to visitors.