You don't always have to travel to Greece to walk among Greek ruins ... If you are in Italy, in the south, you can discover the remains of Agrigento and take a trip back in time.
Agrigento it was one of the most important Greek cities of Magna Grecia and its ruins give account of the brightness and the rank that this city must have had, which by the fourth century BC already had more than half a million inhabitants.
Agrigento, in Sicily
Agrigento is on the southern coast of Sicily and history says it was founded in the year 582 from the hand of a group of settlers from Gela who were direct descendants of Greeks stationed in Crete and Rhodes.
His first name was Akragas and he quickly grew to become one richer, more prosperous and important colonies. It was one of the most populous cities of antiquity, although after a sack at the hands of the Carthaginians it could never fully recover.
It was the Romans who, when occupying it, baptized it as agrigentum and later they honored its inhabitants with Roman citizenship. Of course, when the Empire fell, it suffered a terrible fate and the barbarians and the peoples that in the end were gaining ground (Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Saracens), were complicating living in it.
The looting and attacks caused people to leave certain areas of the city to concentrate on the fortified tip of the hill. Later the Normans would arrive and somehow the city went through the Middle Ages to our days.
Luckily, because we still have all its attractions in sight.
Archaeological Area of Agrigento
It is a World Heritage since 1997. The area occupies 934 hectares and is in the province of the same name, in Sicily. As a testimony of its beauty and importance are the remains of magnificent Doric temples and the excavations have brought to light Greek but also Roman remains.
El Valley of the TemplesThis part of Sicily is also known as this, it covers a wide territory that goes from Rupe Athena to the Acropolis, it includes the sacred hill with its Doric temples and the necropolis outside the walls. There is also the underground network of aqueducts and residential areas.
Agrigento was chosen as a World Heritage Site because represents very well what a Greek colony was like. It is a faithful testament of that time and is in a great state of preservation (although the excavations and restorations of previous centuries have not followed modern conservation principles).
Visit Agrigento
The place is usually visited by hordes of tourists who come down from cruise ships, but they are left with only one part: the Valley of the Temples and not much else. Actually If you want to do things well, it is advisable to stay a whole day.
The best and most beautiful way to approach Agrigento is from the south, from the sea. The views of the Greek temples and the hill is one of the best postcards and photos you can have. If you are determined to stay a day or two in the area you can stay in the modern city of Agrigento, in a hotel or B&B.
Once with the accommodation in your hands you can go to the valley by bus. The Valley of the Temples is a hill located between the modern and highest city of Agrigento and the sea. It is between the center and the temples that the valley rests with its ruins and excavated sites.
And this is where the largest amount of excavated ruins is concentrated. Almost that the modern city gives way to the ancient city. You can walk down the hill to the archaeological site from the center of modern Agrigento, but the bus is faster (1, 2 or 3 leave you well and you take them outside the train station).
You can't miss because the archaeological zone is on both sides of the route where the buses circulate and their stops are directly at the entrances. There is a cafeteria where you can buy drinks and some food and there is the ticket office. If you have a car there are two paid parking lots.
What to visit in Agrigento
On one side you have the east side of the valley, which is where the most complete and impressive ruins are. Historians have given them names and although it is not known if they are correct with them, they are known.
Is like this the Herakles Temple, the oldest since it dates from the XNUMXth century BC, the Theron's Tomb with its tower shape, the Concord Temple which can sometimes be entered and which was converted into a Christian church, in the Doric style, with stairs that go to the ceiling and surrounded by tombs, Temple of Juno or Hera, with what is left of a huge sacrificial stone.
On the other side is the western part of the complex that contains the remains of the largest temples such as the Temple of Olympian Zeus, 110 meters long, with giant statues called telamons. It was huge although it is in very poor condition due to the Carthaginian soldiers and later because it was dismantled to build the Port Empedocle.
The rest of the ruins in this western sector are numerous but not so striking. Various religious sites and shrines dedicated to minor deities have been excavated, the old Temple of Dioscuri decorated with white stucco that reminds us that all the statues were colored in ancient times.
If you want to take a break you can do it in the Akragas water pond, built centuries ago by Carthaginian prisoners that today has been turned into a beautiful citrus garden that allows you to escape the heat. Entrance is paid but it is very cheap.
Tips for visiting Agrigento
What should you take into account to make this visit complete and satisfactory? Well have time. Time to walk, time to rest, to eat, to get information ...
The three hours minimum and a map with historical information will help you a lot. And when you finish you can have a coffee in that cafeteria that is on the route and that has bathrooms, before taking the bus back.
If you go in summer take bottled water, only one will reach you because there are drinking fountains all over the site, although check that because it seems that sometimes there are signs that indicate not to drink it.
La visit to the Archaeological Museum it is also a necessity because it precisely contains everything that has been found and places the temples and ruins in context. And finally, if you have time enjoy the current Agrigento which has a very charming medieval stamp.