Agrigento
Agrigento lies on Sicily's
south coast, the modern city spreading untidily from its medieval core.
Its real treasures lie a few kilometers away, in the site known as the
Valley of the Temples, where the ruins of Agrigento's Greek, Carthaginian
and Roman past are testimony to its earlier importance and glory.
Founded in about 582 BC, the wealthy and important Greek colony of
Akragas had some of the best public monuments outside Greece itself. The
colony was destroyed and rebuilt on several occasions, particularly
during the Punic Wars between Carthage and Rome. Surrounded by olive
groves and almond orchards, the city's ruins include necropoli, houses,
streets, auditoria and a small theatre.
However, it is best known for its
group of seven Doric temples on the acropolis (high ground) above the
colony. Standing proud above the vast site is the Temple of Concord (a
name given to it later - its original dedication is not known), which was
constructed in about 450 BC, and is in excellent condition despite its
missing roof, chiefly because it was adopted as a Christian church in the
late sixth century.
Dating from about ten years later is the Temple of Juno, which has not
survived so well, but was built in the same form as the older building.
The largest temple on the site was that of Olympian Zeus, which was built
in celebration of a military victory some time after 480 BC, but sadly
little of it survives because of earthquake damage and the quarrying of
its stones to help create the harbor of Porto Empedocle nearby. Other
temples here were dedicated to Hephaestus, Hercules and Asclepius.
The best time of the year to visit is in spring when the almond trees in
the nearby orchards are in bloom.
