Bosco Littorio is a natural area of dense vegetation at the foot of the acropolis of Gela, on the Sicilian coast. It contains an archaeological area with the remains of a Greek emporium of the seventh century BC.
What to see
After the arrival of the Rhodian-Cretan colonists in 689 BC the area became the site of an important emporium: its position, a short distance from the sea and the mouth of the river Gela, made it suited to trade, as the finds show; two of the three Greek ships of Gela were also found in the waters off it. The structures belong to a large archaic quarter that stretched from the harbour to the hill of the acropolis: buildings of mudbrick on stone foundations 20-30 centimetres high, with regular quadrangular rooms used both as homes and as workshops. The walls, in excellent condition, reach 2 metres in height and in some cases preserve the line where the ancient roof beams were set and the internal plaster; most of the rooms opening to the north gave onto a courtyard.
The quarter prospered at least until 480 BC, when it was abruptly abandoned: collapsed walls show traces of a traumatic event, attributed to natural causes (for one of the sources perhaps a tsunami). A later phase is attested over the remains, with banquets that were probably ritual. The area gradually became covered with sand and vegetation; until the end of the nineteenth century there were water wells here and in 1927 it was converted and planted with trees, taking the name Bosco Littorio. The first excavations date from 1983 and the site was secured in 2007 with a roof.
Visiting
The archaeological area was opened to the public on 29 May 2009 and comes under the Soprintendenza of Caltanissetta; one source says it is freely accessible, but hours and conditions should be checked with the Soprintendenza or the Comune before going.
Our editors' tip
In the park stands the Museo dei relitti greci, inaugurated according to the sources on 24 February 2026: it houses the wrecks of Greek merchant ships of the sixth to fifth century BC found in the gulf, with their cargo, including rare orichalcum ingots; at the opening the «Gela I» was on display. As it is a recent opening, it is worth checking that it can be visited.
