Castello di Venere, Medieval castle on Monte San Giuliano, Erice, Italy.

Castello di Venere stands on a rocky height at the south-eastern corner of Monte Erice's summit. It is built of pale grey stone blocks in two parts: a tall square tower with crenellations and small windows on the right, and a lower rectangular block with an arched opening at its base on the left, joined by a curtain wall. A lower building with a flat tiled roof and a row of small windows is attached to the front of the tower. Trees and scrub grow around the base.

Norman builders constructed this fortress in the 12th century upon the foundations of an ancient temple that had served the Elymians, Greeks, Phoenicians, and Romans. The site demonstrates how successive civilizations valued this strategic hilltop location and adapted it to their own defensive and religious needs.

The site takes its name from the Roman goddess Venus and preserves remains of an ancient temple that served as the spiritual center of the community for centuries. Visitors can still observe the foundations left by different civilizations who valued this hilltop location.

The climb to the castle is possible on foot, though a road also leads upward, and sturdy footwear is advisable since the ground is uneven and rocky in places. Early morning or late afternoon visits offer the most comfortable experience and allow you to see the views without intense midday sun.

On the steep north side of the rock rises a wall of twelve horizontal courses of neatly squared stones laid in opus rectum, traditionally attributed to Daedalus. A hidden gallery entrance can also be seen, once running underground beneath vanished buildings and leading out of the castle.