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History
Agrigento ( Ἀκράγας) was one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia during the golden age of Ancient Greece with population estimates in the range of 200,000 to 800,000 before 406 BC.
Akragas was founded on a plateau overlooking the sea, with two nearby rivers, the Hypsas and the Acragas, after which the settlement was originally named. A ridge, which offered a degree of natural fortification, links a hill to the north called Colle di Girgenti with another, called Rupe Atenea, to the east. According to Thucydides, it was founded around 582-580 BC by Greek colonists from Gela in eastern Sicily, with further colonists from Crete and Rhodes. The founders (oikistai) of the new city were Aristonous and Pystilus. It was the last of the major Greek colonies in Sicily to be founded.
Founded around 581. C., Agrigento rises in an area where the various peoples who left their traces on the island settled. Formerly the seat of indigenous peoples who maintained commercial relations with the Aegean and Mycenaean, the Agrigento area saw the rise of the Akragas polis (Ἀκράγας), founded by Geloi of Rhodian-Cretan origin.
Photo of Agrigento taken from the Valle dei Templi, by Tiziana Mercurio on Wikipedia
It reached its peak in the 5th century BC before the decline started by the war with Carthage. During the Punic wars, it was conquered by the Romans, who Latinized the name ad Agrigentum.
Subsequently, it fell under Arab rule, with the name of Kerkent, and in 1089 it was conquered by the Normans, who renamed it Girgenti, a name it kept until 1927 when it was renamed with the current toponym.
Until 1853 its territory also included the present-day municipality of Porto Empedocle.
It is known as the City of Temples for its expanse of Doric temples of the ancient Greek city located in the Valley of the Temples, included, in 1997, among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Photo of the Tempio della Concordia, by Sergio Scandroglio on Pexels
«[...] καλλίστα βροτεᾶν πολίων [...]»
«[...] the most beautiful city of all the inns of men [...]»
(Pindaro, XII Pitica)
Agrigento was founded on a plateau overlooking the sea, between two rivers, the Hypsas and Acragas, from which the settlement originally took its name. A ridge, which offered a certain degree of natural fortification, connects a hill to the north called Colle di Girgenti with another, called Rupe Atenea, to the east. According to Thucydides, it was founded around 582-580 BC. by Greek colonists from Gela, a city in south-eastern Sicily, with other colonists from Crete and Rhodes. The founders (oikistai) of the new city were Aristonous and Pystilus. It was the last of the main Greek colonies in Sicily to be founded.
Photo of the Tempio dei Dioscuri, by Regös Környei on Unsplash
Attractions
The historic center of Agrigento can be identified on the western summit of the ancient Girgenti hill. Dating back to the medieval age of the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, it still retains various medieval buildings (churches, monasteries, convents, and noble palaces).
In the historic center, there are significant testimonies of Arab-Norman art, including in particular the Cattedrale di San Gerlando, the Palazzo Steri seat of the seminary, the bishop's palace, the Basilica of Santa Maria dei Greci and the monumental complex of Santo Spirito and the doors of the walls.
Via Atenea
The main street is called Via Atenea, the heart of the city.
Photo of the Porta di Ponte at the entrance of Via Atenea, by Antonino Riggio on Wikipedia
Cattedrale di San Gerlando
Cattedrale di San Gerlando was built starting from the second half of the 11th century, consecrated in 1099 by Bishop Gerlando, declared Saint and then dedicated to him in 1305.
Photo of the Cattedrale di San Gerlando, by Toni Pecoraro on Wikipedia
Santuario di San Calogero
Santuario di San Calogero, XVI century. The church has three naves and inside the decorations follow the Baroque style. On the façade, in a niche, the statue of San Calogero with the characteristic doe stands out.
Photo of the Santuario di San Calogero, by Toni Pecoraro on Wikipedia
Santuario dell'Addolorata
Santuario dell’Addolorata is one of the most important Catholic Marian places of worship in Agrigento and the seat of one of the oldest brotherhoods in the city, that of Maria SS. Of The Seven Sorrows. In its basement, which can be accessed through an opening carved out of the rock, there are crypts, called the crypts of the Addolorata.
Basilica dell'Immacolata Concezione
Basilica dell'Immacolata Concezione or Chiesa di San Francesco, 17th century. The basilica has a single nave. The façade is in the Baroque style with three orders with two imposing bell towers and the statue of the Patron Saint of Italy, in white marble. On the bell tower, however, there is the statue of the Madonna with the child. Inside there are some marble tombs of nobles and clergymen. In February 1940, Pope Pius XII elevated it to the dignity of a minor basilica.
Photo of the Chiesa di San Francesco, by Wikicatholic123 on Wikipedia
Basilica di Santa Maria dei Greci
Basilica di Santa Maria dei Greci, built on the foundations of a Doric temple, the façade is in Arab-Norman style and is accessed through a courtyard bordered by a Baroque-style portal. Inside, the foundations of the Doric temple of Giove Polieo are visible thanks to the glass floor, while frescoes are recognizable on the walls. The church was initially intended for Greek Orthodox worship.
Photo of the Basilica di Santa Maria dei Greci, by trolvag on Wikipedia
Chiesa di San Nicola
Chiesa di San Nicola was built in the 13th century. The interior with a single nave shares the Norman-Gothic style with the facade with a pointed arch portal. On the external façade, moreover, above the two massive columns and the portal, there are some marble decorations, including the bas-reliefs of Saints Peter and Paul. Inside there is a marble sarcophagus showing the legend of Phaedra and Hippolytus and the famous wooden crucifix described in the story of Pirandello the Lord of the ship.
Photo of the Chiesa di San Nicola, by Clemensfranz on Wikipedia
Chiesa e Monastero del Santo Spirito
Chiesa del Santo Spirito was built in the 11th century. The church has a single nave and valuable stuccos by Serpotta inside. The facade is in Gothic style with a portal surmounted by a rose window.
Together with the church, in the architectural aggregate, there is the Monastero del Santo Spirito, founded in 1299, and called by the people of Agrigento with the dialectical term Bataranni (large abbey) due to its imposing dimensions.
The Monastery became a weapons depot during the Second World War. From the conclusion of the latter to today, the space has become a Civic Museum.
Photo of the Monastero del Santo Spirito, by Max5783 on Wikipedia
Museo Archeologico Regionale di Agrigento
As far as museums are concerned, the most important one is the Museo archeologico regionale di Agrigento.
It gathers the collections of state, civic, and diocesan archaeological materials, and constitutes an organic whole and of particular importance for the understanding of the history of the city of Agrigento and its territory.
Photo of the Museo, by Clemensfranz on Wikipedia
Valle dei Templi
The Valle dei Templi is one of the most outstanding examples of ancient Greek art and architecture and is one of the main attractions of Agrigento and the whole of Sicily. It's definitely the most important place you want to visit while in Agrigento.
The term "valley" is actually a misnomer, the site being located on a ridge outside the town of Agrigento.
Photo of the Valle dei Templi, by Andrea Mosti on Pexels
The Valley includes remains of seven temples, all in Doric style. The ascription of the names, apart from that of the Olympeion, is a mere tradition established in Renaissance times.
The temples are:
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Tempio della Concordia whose name comes from a Latin inscription found nearby, and which was built in the 5th century BC. Turned into a church in the 6th century AD, it is now one of the best preserved in the Valley;
Photo of the Tempio della Concordia, by Dario Crisafulli on Unsplash
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Tempio di Giunone was also built in the 5th century BC. It was burnt in 406 BC by the Carthaginians;
Photo of the Tempio di Giunone, by José Barbosa on Pexels
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Tempio di Eracle, was one of the most venerated deities in the ancient Akragas. It is the most ancient in the Valley: destroyed by an earthquake, it consists today of only eight columns;
Photo of the Tempio di Eracle, by Regös Környei on Unsplash
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Tempio di Castore e Polluce. Despite its remains including only four columns, it is now the symbol of modern Agrigento;
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Photo of the Tempio di Castore e Polluce, by Sergio Scandroglio on Pexels
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Tempio di Efesto (Vulcano), also dating from the 5th century BC. It is thought to have been one of the most imposing constructions in the valley; it is now however one of the most eroded;
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Photo of the Tempio di Efesto, by Francesco Saverio Cavallari on Wikipedia
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Tempio di Asclepio, located far from the ancient town's walls; it was the goal of pilgrims seeking cures for illness;
Sketch of the Tempio di Asclepio
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Tempio di Zeus Olimpio, was built in 480 BC to celebrate the city-state's victory over Carthage. It is characterized by the use of large-scale atlases;
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Photo of the Tempio di Zeus Olimpio, by José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro on Wikipedia
This temple was the largest Doric temple ever constructed, although it was never completed.
It was described with enthusiastic words by Diodorus Siculus and mentioned by Polybius. Today it is reduced to ruins due to destruction begun in antiquity and continued through the 18th century, when the temple was used as a quarry for the port of Porto Empedocle.
Photo of some ruins of the temple, by José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro on Wikipedia
The temple, whose structure is still under debate, measured 112.7 x 56.3 m at the stylobate, with a height of some 20 m. The whole construction was made of small stone blocks, which has led to uncertainty about the total size of the building. According to Diodorus, the columns' grooves could easily house a man; their height has been estimated from 14.5 to 19.2 meters. Each stood on a five-stepped platform approximately 4.5 m above the ground. The enclosure occupied a large basement with a five-step crepidoma. The front of the temple had seven semi-columns, an archaic feature that precluded the addition of a central door. The long sides had fourteen semi-columns.
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Photo of the reconstruction of the temple, by Selinous on Wikipedia
Photo of the a Telamone, by Casey Lovegrove on Unsplash
Giardino della Kolymbethra
The Giardino della Kolymbethra is an archaeological site of great naturalistic and landscape importance, located in a small valley in the heart of the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento. In 1999 the Sicilian Region entrusted it as a free concession to the Italian Environment Fund (FAI) for a period of 25 years, putting an end to the situation of abandonment in which it had fallen in the last decades of the twentieth century; as a result of this, it has become one of the places of archaeological/naturalistic interest of great importance at a territorial and national level. The plant and structural restoration organized by FAI allows a visit to the Temple of Hephaestus, as well as the discovery of some hypogea.
Photo from the Giardino, by fab. on Wikipedia
On the valley floor, there are various species including citrus fruits, carob trees, pistachios, mulberries, walnuts, pomegranates, and banana trees; along the river and at the foot of the limestone walls there are almond trees, olive trees, traditional gardens, and the Mediterranean scrub with myrtles, laurels, mastic trees, terebinths, phyllaries, holm oaks, euphorbias, later, brooms, dwarf palms, ampelodesme, and carob trees.
The Ipogeo Kolymbethra - Porta V is an underground path, entirely excavated by men dating back to the fifth century. B.C.
This hypogeum is characterized by a planimetric development of about 185 meters, with a difference in height of about 11 meters.
This evocative route has easy access to the inside of the Kolymbetra garden, with a second easy exit near Porta V.
Photo of the Giardino, by Toni Pecoraro on Wikipedia
The development of the Hypogeum, simple and easily accessible, is interspersed with two vertical shafts, one near the Kolymbetra ticket office (from which you can enter and exit); and a second on the limestone plateau on which the Temple of the Dioscuri was built, consisting of a vertical well with a rectangular section and about 10 meters deep.
Food
This section is about places where to eat in Agrigento. Here is a list:
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Antichi Sapori Salumeria Gastronomia & Bio is the place you want to go if you don’t want restaurant food, but sandwiches with traditional and typical cold cuts and cheeses of the region, accompanied by typical drinks, such as Sicilian gassosa;
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Aguglia Persa is a prestigious restaurant, in an elegant setting, which prepares traditional foods and enhances the typical dishes of Sicily;
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Daserenella is a home restaurant, that prepares the grandmother's recipes, prepared according to the rules of tradition, but also a selection of dishes with an innovative taste;
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Il Re di Girgenti is an award-winning restaurant, where you can enjoy typical traditional foods, overlooking the Valle dei Templi;
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Ginger People & Food is a project, more than just a restaurant. As their mission states: "Ginger is food of Africa and Sicily and, above all, life and stories of women and men. It is our belief that it is possible to live in a more inclusive, colorful and open-to-the-future society". In fact, it is an award-winning restaurant, whose dishes are the meeting of Sicilian and African cuisine.
Tips
Punta Bianca
Furthermore, near Agrigento there is a nature reserve from which you can enjoy the view of a rock similar to that of the Scala dei Turchi, but in a smaller and more reserved space. To be precise, this spot is not part of the Municipality of Agrigento but is located near the village of Palma di Montechiaro.
This place is called Punta Bianca and is perfect if you want to spend a day at the beach in a wild place to relax.
Photo of the Punta Bianca from the land, by Francesca Rizzo on Unsplash
Farm Cultural Park
Farm Cultural Park is an art gallery and artist residence located in Favara in the province of Agrigento.
Founded on 25 June 2010 by the notary Andrea Bartoli and his wife, the lawyer Florinda Saieva, it stands inside the Cortile Bentivegna, an aggregate, in turn, consisting of seven small courtyards that houses small buildings and are located near the historic center of Favara. In addition to being a museum, it also proposes itself as a cultural and tourist center where temporary pictorial exhibitions and permanent installations of contemporary art are set up. There are also residences for artists and book presentations and various architecture courses are held.
Photo of an artwork of the Farm Cultural Park, by Don Fontijn on Unsplash
In 2011 the museum won the "Cultura di Gestione di Federculture" Award and the following year it was invited to the XXIII Mostra Internazionale di Architettura di Venezia.
Farm Cultural Park was born as a redevelopment project of the historic center of the city of Favara, implemented through the use of three different languages: contemporary art, architecture, and public design. Farm Cultural Park is characterized not only as an exhibition space but also as a center of cultural production and experimentation, to stimulate the sense of community.
Farm Cultural Park is a new-generation independent cultural center with a strong focus on contemporary art and innovation. It is located in the heart of the historic center of Favara, in a district called "I sette cortili” (the seven courtyards) due to its urban conformation characterized precisely by seven small courtyards, and which over time had remained semi-abandoned. Farm Cultural Park has acquired some of the houses present within the seven courtyards, transforming them into exhibition places for contemporary art, meeting spaces, open kitchens for workshops and lunches, cocktail bars, vintage shops, and more.
As far as places where to eat are concerned, you can have food in the Farm Cultural Park itself, where you can find restaurants, trattorias and so on.