Places of the Myth of Demeter - Ceres: Rocca di Cerere
The site is part of the Places of Myth and Legends - entered in the Register of the Sicily Region LIM (Places of the gods and minor divinities)
Enna
A sanctuary dedicated to Demeter probably existed in Enna, right near what is called Rocca di Cerere. It is a large rock north of the Norman castle called Castello di Lombardia and, although there are no visible traces of the sanctuary on the rock, its presence would be confirmed by an inscription found on a boulder which was probably placed at the foot of the statue of Demeter. Cicero speaks widely of the cult of Ceres in Enna [Verrine II.IV, 106-112]: he recounts that, although there is a temple dedicated to Ceres in Rome, some priests of the Roman people left on pilgrimage for the sanctuary of Ceres in Enna. He also tells that Verres, unable to take possession of the statue of Ceres located in front of the temple dedicated to her because it was too big, stole the statue of Vittoria that the goddess held on her right hand.
Most of the coins from Enna were inspired by Demeter; even the slave Euno who, after the first slave revolt in Sicily in 139 BC, called himself King Antiochus, had the figure of Demeter with a garland of wheat represented on his coins. As B. Pace points out, this element brings out the indigenous nature of the cult more [Art and Civilization of Ancient Sicily vol.III. p. 471]. One of these copper coins is now in the British Museum in London.
To read the fact sheet relating to the myth of Demeter, see: Demeter and Persephone - Ceres and Libera
Places reported on the IWB:
- Rock Sanctuary (Agrigento)
- Rocca of Cerere (Enna)
- Trapani promontory
- Top of the Etna Volcano (province of Catania)
To view the places included in the Myth's LIM on an Interactive Map, see the following web page: The places of Demeter
Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero
Photo: web
Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero, Region of Sicily
