Historical Notes

It was founded approximately during 580 B.C. by a group of Cypriot colonists from Gela. It experienced an initial period of splendor under the ruling of the tyrant Terone, approximately during 490 B.C.. Devastated by the Carthaginians, the town rose again thanks to king Timoleonte approximately during 340 B.C.. During 827 A.D., it was conquered by the Arabs, who made it richer and and enhanced its beauty by building numerous mosques. In 1087 it became a Norman seat. As of the XIV century, the town belonged to several noble families such as the Chiaramonte and the Montaperto families. Under the Spanish and Bourbon ruling , the city experienced a period of progressive decline, and was ultimately set free in 1860 by the intervention of Garibaldi. Numerous and remarkable are the monuments present all over the city, among which we mention the Cathedral, erected during the XI century by bishop Gerlando, that has a Chapel dedicated to the same bishop, and the Chiesa di San Nicola (Church of Saint Nicholas), XIII century, that is now an Archeological Museum. Also, the Chiesa del Santo Spirito (Church of the Holy Spirit), and its homonymous Monastery, one of the most antique and best preserved monuments in Sicily; the Chiesa del Purgatorio (Purgatory Church), XVII century, that beholds eight allegorical statues representing "Virtue". There is also the Chiesa di S. Maria dei Greci (Church of Saint Mary of the Greeks), XIII century, whose structure rises above a temple of the V century B.C.. "La pił bella cittą dei mortali" (The most beautiful city of mortals): this is how Agrigento was described by Pindaro, Greek poet of the V century B.C.. During ancient times, it was one of the three metropolis along with Athens and Siracusa, and was homeland of remarkable philosophers such as Empedocle and dramatists such as Nobel Prize Luigi Pirandello.

Not to Be Missed

The Valley of the Temples is still today the most sublime evidence of the Greek civilization in Sicily. In a countryside of blooming almond trees, your eyes enjoy the wonderful ruins of the temples which even after centuries still keep their architectural grandeur intact. The Valley of the Temple rises southernmost, on the traces of the old towan and it includes many temples built in the 5th century BC. They were erected with local tufa in Doric style and oriented towards east: at dawn the statue of the god, placed inside the entrance cell, was fully illuminated. The Valley is now an archaeological park over a large area where there are, almost in a line, some temples named after the Greek gods. Walking along the path we find:
The temple of Olympian Zeus (Jupiter) was built to thank Zeus after the successful war of the Agrigentinians against the Carthaginians in 480 BC. Originally the temple was 113 metres long and 56 metres large, one of the most impressive in ancient times. It had a trabeations supported by 20 metre tall columns alternated by the so-called Telamoni, huge man-like statues. Many of the tufa blocks have peculiar U-shape cuts, which were used to channel the rope when lifting and setting the stones.
The temple of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri) was built in the 5th century BC and dedicated to Leda and Zeus's twins. The temple, which is also the symbol of Agrigento, has only four columns and some of the trabeation standing. Close to it, two sacrificial altars have been found. One is a square, the other one is a rectangle, probably belonging to an original sanctuary dedicated to the infernal gods.
The temple of Heracles (Hercules) is the oldest and eight tapered columns are still standing (they are slimmer at the top in order to look taller).Looking south there is the Tomb of Terone, a grandiose tufa stone monument. It is pyramid-shaped and was built to commemorate the soldiers died during the Second Punic War.
The temple of Concorde is the only temple still standing in its whole. It was built in 430 BC, and in the 6th century BC it was changed into a sacred building: you can still see the arches included in the central cell walls. Here there are massive tapered columns and the frieze is decorated with triglyphs and metopes. The name Concorde comes from a Latin inscription founded nearby the temple itself.
The temple of Hera Lacinia (Juno) was built around the 5th century BC and set on fire by the Carthaginians in 406 BC. It was attributed to Juno, the goddess of marriage and birth, and it still keeps unchanged the entrance cell colonnade (in part restored in the 20th century). Exiting the temple and going east, there is its altar.