In the Valley of the Temples the fascination of ancient history blends with the beauty of nature.
The sea on one side, the old city-hill on the other, the majestic Doric style temples rise in the middle, the golden colour of the tuff they are built becoming particularly intense at sunset and creating a unique and extraordinarily attractive effect.
The Temple of Concordia is the best conserved among all because it was transformed into a church, the Temple of Juno still shows 25 of the original 34 columns that support its structure to-date. Though the Temple of the Dioscuri is considered the most symbolic of all the temples, the Temple of Hercules, is the oldest of them all. Together with the Temple of Olympean Zeus, these five giants dominate the Valley that has been declared a World Heritage Site.
As you leave the valley and head towards the city, you will come across the remains of the Hellenistic-Roman site with its houses decorated with beautiful mosaics. The ancient shops, wells, cisterns and the sewer system give a complete picture of the ancient city.
There are numberless testimonials of the Greek era to be found in the exhibits of the Regional Archeological Museum which contains many marvellous objects found in the ancient area of Akragas.
Through the Ponte gate, you enter into the ancient quarter of Agrigento which still conveys the fascination of a medieval village, with its narrow roads and steep winding alleys that all converge towards the main road. As you stroll through the ancient city, you come across the Cathedral with its grand stairway leading to the beautiful churchyard next to the square bell tower, the construction of which had never been completed.
The archeological itinerary continues at Eraclea Minoa which hosts the remains of the ancient Greek city located on a gentle slope that falls away towards the blue sea. The long white beach stretches out from Capo Bianco till the edges of a magnificent pinewood. Certainly not to be missed, both for its beautiful landscape and for its historical features, is the Roman Villa of Durrueli in the commune of Realmonte, where parts of the mosaic flooring are still visible.
Gela’s Regional Archeological Museum exhibits a vast collection of ceramics, bronze and numismatic finds from Prehistoric to Middle Ages. In the Acropolis the remains of two temples dedicated to Athena can still be seen. The remains of Greek fortifications, very well conserved, were found in the Cape Soprano excavations.
Nestled on a high plain the town of Sciacca is divided into quarters situated on three sloping terraces. The most ancient quarter with its alleys and courtyards can be found in the higher part of the city, from there one enters into the more elegant part of the city with elegant buildings and churches that lead to the potters’ quarter which surrounds the city’s wharf. Next to the city, on Mount Kronio, one finds the thermal baths and can enjoy a panoramic view over the sea.
Do not miss the “Enchanted Castle”, an original exhibition of faces sculpted into rocks and into the bark of trees by Filippo Bentivegna.
In the hinterland one finds Naro, where the architectural lines were impressed during the 18th century along with the many renovations of buildings and churches. Higher up one finds the medieval Castle, the Old Cathedral and Piazza Garibaldi, all surrounded by refined 19th century buildings. In the lower part of the city on Via Dante, one can admire the architecture of the Church of San Salvatore, the Chiesa Madre and Palazzo Destro.
Innumerable art treasures can be found in the interior of the province.