Valley of the Temples and the grandeur of Akragas

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, the Valley of the Temples covers 1,300 hectares and preserves one of the most extraordinary testimonies to Greek civilisation in Sicily. Founded in 580 BC, Akragas became one of the most powerful colonies in the Mediterranean. The Temple of Concordia, built around 430 BC, is considered, together with the Parthenon, one of the best-preserved Doric temples in the world. Pindar, the Greek poet of the 5th century BC, described it as “the most beautiful city of mortals”.

«I beseech you, city of Persephone, fairest among the cities where men dwell, O lover of splendour, which stands by the sheep-rich banks of the Acragas.» Pindar, Pythian XII, 5th century BC

• ✓Temple of Concordia: 430 BC, 6×13 columns, exceptionally well preserved
• ✓Temple of Juno: 450 BC, 30 surviving columns over 6 metres high, with traces of the Carthaginian fire
• ✓Temple of Heracles: 6th century BC, the oldest, with 8 surviving columns
• ✓Temple of Olympian Zeus: the largest in ancient Greece, with colossal Telamons 8 metres high

Pietro Griffo Regional Archaeological Museum

Designed by Franco Minissi in the 1960s, the museum stands on the site of the upper agora of the ancient city. Its 18 rooms house more than 5,688 artefacts tracing the history of the Agrigento area from prehistory to the Greco-Roman period. The original Telamon from the Temple of Olympian Zeus, standing 8 metres tall, dominates Room 6. The Ephebe of Agrigento, a masterpiece of the Severe Style dating from the 5th century BC, captivates visitors with its remarkably expressive features.

The museum also houses Attic and South Italian pottery, Roman sarcophagi from the 2nd century AD, votive statuettes linked to the cult of Demeter and Kore, and a white-ground krater depicting Perseus and Andromeda dating from 430 BC.

• ✓Original Telamon from the Temple of Olympian Zeus: colossal 8-metre-high statue
• ✓Ephebe of Agrigento: marble sculpture dating from the 5th century BC, Severe Style
• ✓Collection of Attic pottery, Roman sarcophagi and votive statuettes
• ✓Reconstructed panels and models of the ancient temples