Valley of The Temples

Our accommodation is ideally situated for excursions in all directions, we are spoilt for choice but opted first to head east to Akragas and the temples. The city was founded in 581 BC by the Greeks and quickly rose to prominence due to the fertile land surrounding it and proximity to the sea. It traded in produce and horses and was soon declared by the Greek Poet Pindar to be "the most beautiful city of the mortals". Laid out in 'processional composition' and sitting on a rocky ridge the highest of the 8 temples built in the Doric Order is Temple of Juno:

The Greeks traded with Carthage peacefully until 406BC when the Carthaginians destroyed the city, Temple of Concord remains the most intact.

The city became a battleground of the Punic wars between the Carthaginians and Romans with the latter eventually taking control and renaming AGRIGENTO but it never regained it's former glory or status.

Above you see the remains of Temple of the Dioscuric with the modern (and not very attractive) Agrigento on the hill. The original inhabitants occupied the area between the two. Unfortunately the museum was closed as it contains many artifacts recovered from the site. Such was the wealth of the city and quality of the pieces that there are entire rooms of them in The Louvre, The British Museum and Kleinkunstmuseum in Munich.