Agrigento 2025

The city of the Leopard On a rocky hill overlooking the valley, which stretches down to the sea, is Palma di Montechiaro, a small town near Agrigento. A fictional fiefdom of Donnafugata in the novel The Leopard, the village is renowned for its mother church, among the most iconic examples of Sicilian Baroque architecture. The three-nave layout features a spectacular staircase and two external bell towers. Not to be outdone is the Ducal Palace, on a rocky outcrop in the space once called Piazza del Belvedere. The rooms feature coffered ceilings, which are decorated with different subjects. The Benedictine Monastery houses the relics of Sister Crocifissa and stands at the top of a steep, semi-circular staircase, inside a square plaza. We also recommend exploring the military architecture of Montechiaro Castle, converted centuries ago into a sanctuary dedicated to the local Madonna, the Madonna del Castello, and Torre San Carlo, a four-sided tower sat on a base shaped like a truncated pyramid. Finally, don’t miss Calvario hill, where you can find the ruins of the ancient Baroque church of Santa Maria della Luce.

Built between 1653 and 1659, it incorporated the first ducal palace and also welcomed the daughters of Julius, II Duke of Palma, and later his wife Rosalia Traina under the Cassinese rule. It is located on a semicircular and impervious flight of steps, in a square square with the streets intersecting at the place that was once marked by the column with the cross. It was inaugurated on 12 June 1659. The monastery has a simple appearance with unadorned windows. Baroque decorated windows overlook the inner courtyard. Inside, the parlour has barrel vaults leading to a garden full of trees in which there is a sculpture of the Madonna with St Benedict. The sisters also guard Our Lady of the Rosy Dove and the urn of the venerable Mary Crucified. Even today, it is one of the few cloistered monasteries in Sicily, access to which is prohibited to almost everyone.

"There lingers a wind that I recall afire / within the manes of slanted horses / that marks and gnaws the sandstone and the heart / of the gloomy telamons, lying / above the grass". The verses of Salvatore Quasimodo introduce visitors to the awe-inspiring Valley of the Temples, where the effect of the large telamons that supported the Temple of Olympian Zeus is anything but lugubrious. One thing's for certain, the archaeological park of ancient Akagras (the Ancient Greek word for Agrigento) - which the Greek poet Pindaro called “the most beautiful city” -and which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Sitewon't leave you indifferent. The magnificent Doric temples date back to the 5th century BC, when the city was at its peak. Excavations have also brought to light other parts of the ancient city such as public buildings, water systems, necropolises and fortifications, up to the archaeological and monumental ruins dating from the early Christian era. In the park, there are also nature trails through the Mediterranean scrub, amid agaves and prickly pear trees and acres of olive groves, vinyeards and almond trees. Among the many places of worship dedicated to the gods of Olympus, what else but a Greek myth could explain the luxuriant early flowering of the almond trees. Every year, the people of Agrigento celebrate the arrival of spring with the Almond Blossom Festival, remembering the mythical but ill-fated love story between a princess and a warrior. The medieval and modern city developed around the 9th century AD, on the Girgenti hill. Even beyond the archaeological park, Agrigento still retains many traces of its splendid history , such as the medievalcentre with its winding maze of streets typical of Arab cities and the plethora of churches and buildings constructed in different styles through the centuries. Agrigento has been proclaimed the Italian Capital of Culture 2025, together with Lampedusa and the local towns.

In the midst of a powerful and wild, enthralling and wonderful nature, among olive, almond and carob trees, on a plateau not far from the sea, appear the majestic and scenic Greek temples of Agrigento, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular destination for international tourism. The great scholar and philosopher Wolfgang Goethe wrote in his 'Italian Journey': "One's gaze sweeps over the great cliff of the ancient city, all gardens and vineyards... towards the southern end of this verdant and flowering plateau one sees the Temple of Concordia rising, while to the east stand the few ruins of the Temple of Juno". In fact, the archaeological area is divided into an eastern sector, with the temples of Juno (attributed)Concordia and Hercules, and a western sector, with the temples of Olympian Jupiter and the Dioscuri and the garden of the Kolymbethra,all crossed by the Via Crispi, which connects the city to the coast, but joined today by a bridge built within the same archaeological area. This archaeological site can be accessed by car, but also by train, from Agrigento Central Station, aboard the historic winding tracks of the Temples Tourist Railway. The temple dedicated to Hera Lacinia, or Juno, is in a panoramic position on the hill; of its thirty-four columns, twenty-five withstood arson in 406 BC at the hands of the Carthaginians and a subsequent earthquake during the Middle Ages. A short distance away, the most famous Temple of Concord which, with its 34 mighty columns, almost 7 metres high and with a diameter at the base of no less than 127 centimetres, brings to mind the Parthenon in Athens, and is one of the most perfect and best-preserved works of Doric architecture, thanks to its transformation into a Christian church, towards the end of the 6th century A.D., dedicated first to St Peter and St Paul, then to the cult of St Gregory. This transformation involved the closing of the intercolumniums and the opening of round arches in the cell walls, which are still visible today. In 1748, it was removed from worship and restored to its primitive form. Opposite, there is the statue of Icarus the fallen, a modern bronze work donated to the archaeological park in 2011 by Polish artist Igor Mitoraj. The story goes that the young Icarus, disobeying his father Daedalus, tried to fly too close to the sun, so he burnt his wax wings and died falling into the Mediterranean Sea. The archaeological walk continues until it meets the Villa Aurea surrounded by a lush garden with typical Mediterranean vegetation, and then to the ruins of the temple of Hercules, which stands in a scenic position at the edge of the eastern area. It is perhaps the most archaic, dating from the 6th century B.C., as revealed by the elongated shape of its plan and the reduced vertical thrust of its columns, which were 38 originally, but today eight remain, of which only four have capitals. The Temple of Olympian Jupiter lacking raised columns, with statues lying dormant, it was designed to be one of the largest buildings in Greek architecture (112.60 metres x 56.30 metres). It was built after 480-470 BC by Carthaginian prisoners from Hymera, but was never finished and was later destroyed in wars and earthquakes. The columns, in whose grooves a man could fit, were at least 17 metres high, with a diameter of over four metres. The special features of the temple were telamones colossal human figures almost 8 metres high, made of stone ashlars, which served to support and decorate the building. As we continue, here comes the shrine of Demeter and Kore (6th-5th century BC) and, then, the temple of Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri: the four surviving columns of the temple have become one of the symbols of Agrigento, perhaps because of their consonance with the romantic feeling of the ruins. Erected towards the end of the 5th century B.C., the temple, with a hexastyle peripteral plan - with 6 columns at the front -, measuring 38.69 metres × 16.63 metres, with 34 columns, was severely damaged by the Carthaginian sack. Restored in Hellenistic forms, it was ruined by one of the many earthquakes of the past and, in 1832, was partially rebuilt with the reuse of materials from other temples. Finally, in the small valley between the temple of the Dioscuri and the remains of the temple of Vulcan, there is the Kolymbetra Garden, five hectares of delightful garden between tuff walls: lemons, grapefruit, mandarins and citrons coexist in perfect symbiosis with olive, almond, pistachio, carob, pomegranate and prickly pear trees, and willows, reeds and poplars, at the edge of an inland stream.

A golf resort overlooking the Sicilian sea TheVerdura Resortis located on the southern coast ofSicily, surrounded by olive and citrus groves but facing the sea. Relax in the infinity pool, stroll along the white beach before diving into the blue Sicilian waters or indulge in an afternoon at the spa. At sunset, meet for a round on the 18-hole golf course, among the top positions in the list of the 100 best in the world according to Golf World. The Verdura Resort is also considered the third-best golf resort in Europe. The right place for those who love the sport and want to combine a special holiday with their favourite hobby. Cocktails are prepared with ingredients from the garden and the four restaurants all focus on traditional Sicilian dishes with a gourmet twist. Those who love sport are spoilt for choice: fencing, football, beach volleyball, water gymnastics, yoga, pilates, water sports, trekking, and tennis. A short distance away is theValley of the Temples of Agrigento and the city ofSciacca, full of historic buildings and beautiful churches. The resort also has an eye on sustainability. The structures are made of stone, wood and tiles, a water recirculation system is used to provide irrigation for the golf course and photovoltaic systems harness the sun's energy.

A natural haven of peace 762 hectares of rugged, unspoilt nature: Torre Salsa is a protected nature reserve in Siculiana, in the province of Agrigento, which since 2000 has been managed by WWF Italia. The Regional Nature Reserve protects a 6 km stretch of coastline dotted with craggy cliffs and beaches. Inside the wetland, the heart of the reserve is the Torre Salsa: an ancient watchtower that dominates the landscape from a small clay-soil promontory. Torre Salsa is home to a huge variety of flora and fauna. Parts of the coastline are dominated by blue clay soil, stratified limestone and chalky banks, sheer cliffs and sand dunes. Dozens of animal species live here, including the porcupine, while the beaches are the ideal breeding ground for the Caretta caretta sea turtle.

In the province of Agrigento, Porto Empedocle - once known as Marina di Girgenti - is still the commercial hub connecting the city with the Pelagie Islands. In the 16th century it was one of the most important grain loading ports in the whole of Sicily, and a tower was specially built to defend it. This is the Tower of Charles V, next to the harbour, which houses pieces of artillery and illustrative panels relating its defensive function against pirates. Some areas appeared later, such as the artificial pier, built in 1749. Porto Empedocle has a single street axis, Via Roma, overlooked by the Mother Church dedicated to the Most Holy Saviour. The city is also of significant literary interest: it helped to inspire the imaginary city of “Vigata”, featured in the novels of Andrea Camilleri (a statue of Inspector Montalbano can also be admired in Via Roma). The same author writes about the Tower of Charles V in the novel ”The Forgotten Massacre”, recalling the 1848 tragedy in which a hundred unarmed prisoners died. Luigi Pirandello was also born near Porto Empedocle, in the locality of Caos. The author would fondly recall the beach and the sea that he could see from his window. In his novella “Lontano” (Far), he portrays the city as besieged by the sirocco wind, with angry rollers lashing a port guarded over by a high, sombre, square tower.

An open-air museum by the sea Its territory stretches some 20 kilometres along the southern coast of Sicily and its sea has always been a strong attraction for visitors. Welcome to Licata, in the province of Agrigento. In the area of the port, the beach to visit is Playa Marianello: unspoilt and unique, it will impress you with its 'timpe', a wall of white gullies that stretches along the sandy shore. More popular and well-known, however, is the Mollarella beach, enclosed in a bay between two rocky headlands. Not to be outdone are the beach of San Nicola, wild-looking and surrounded by rocks, and Torre di Gaffe, surrounded by a rocky wall covered with Mediterranean scrub and guarded for centuries by the nearby watchtower. The fortress is not the only one in Licata: its proximity to the sea determined the defence of the coast. Here, then, is Castel Sant'Angelo, built by the Bourbons in the Baroque style, now housing the Ethnographic Museum. The San Giacomo Lighthouse, which at 40 metres is among the highest in Europe, the old aristocratic villas and the Art Nouveau Palazzo di Città are also fascinating.

This is the descriptive-evocative name of one of the most spectacular spots on the southern Sicilian coast and in the Mediterranean basin, which can be reached by following the coast road from Porto Empedocle or coming down from Realmonte, from State Road 115. From the wall of chalky hills comes a fantasticcliffs sculpted by sea and wind into white shelves, a kind of solarium coveted nature in summer, amidst beautiful sandy beaches. The reference in the name to the Turks evokes the historical pirate raids of the 16th century. You go down to the lido via a staircase carved into the cliff. Already threatened by squatting and tourist pressure, the Scala dei Turchi is currently the subject of contention between private individuals and the State.

The Greek historiographer Herodotus, in the 5th century B.C., tells of the ancient city of Minoa, allegedly founded by the inhabitants of Selinunte and named Heraclea in honour of the demigod hero. Archaeological findings, however, tell a much older and extremely fascinating story of the area. The archaeological site is in a magnificent location, in a nature reserve, on the promontory of Capo Bianco (at 75 m), a white cliff (steep escarpment) of limestone rock that juts out into the sea, sloping westwards towards the Plàtani valley and eastwards towards the beach. Fragments found in the layers underneath the Archaic Necropolis from the 6th century B.C. date the origin of the urban settlement back to prehistoric times, specifically to the Neolithic period (from around 8,000 to 3,500 B.C.), while ancient coins found testify to the presence of a Phoenician colony. In the earliest historical sources, the city is referred to by three names: Macara, or the city of Makar, the Phoenician Heracles; Minoa, which, according to legend, was founded by the King of Crete Minos, who chased Daedalus here; and finally Eraclea, a Spartan colony, confirming the place's dedication to the great Greek hero. After the Phoenicians and Spartans, the city became a subcolony of Selinunte in the 5th century B.C. and reached the height of its development in the Hellenistic period (late 4th century B.C.). Long disputed between the Greeks and Carthaginians for its strategic border position, it changed hands several times until, in 210 B.C., it was conquered by the Romans. In the 1st century B.C. it was definitively abandoned, possibly due to a landslide that dragged the southern part of the settlement and walls into the sea. Archaeological investigations in the early 20th century brought to light part of the residential quarter, with legible traces in two successive stratifications, of the Archaic and Hellenistic city, the northern section of the city walls, with the remains of towers and gates, and the beautiful theatre with the proscenium open towards the sea (partly hidden by a protective structure). In the Antiquarium, at the entrance to the archaeological area, material from the Archaic and Hellenistic dwellings and necropolis is on display. The village, located lower than the archaeological site, hosts tourist and accommodation facilities, including a campsite, shaded by a eucalyptus forest. The beach stretches in an amphitheatre shape up to the rock walls of Cape Bianco, which, with its mud baths, offers bathers free, natural cosmetic treatments in the open air.

Tonnara Beach, the pearl of the Vendicari Reserve Tonnara Beach is a haven of unspoilt nature set on the edge of Mediterranean scrubland overlooking a spectacular coastline. It is part of the Vendicari Reserve, a protected area in eastern Sicily that offers visitors a wealth of splendid panoramic views. The footpaths through the reserve end at dreamlike beaches lapped by crystal-clear waters. Perhaps the most stunning of all is the Tonnara beach. Shimmering sea A highlight of the reserve's 13 km of coastline is Tonnara Beach,a long stretch of sandy coastline with a scenic rocky backdrop. The seabed is shallow with a gentle slope, so you will have to paddle out a short distance before you reach diving depth. The sea water changes colour from green to turquoise, including every possible shade of blue. Another stunning feature of this beach is the rich marine life: there are huge meadows of Neptune gras and aquatic plants you can find on the beach itself or in the shallows. The tradition of tuna traps Opposite the beach is the islet of Vendicari, and further up the coast is the Swabian Tower where you can see the old "tonnare" or "tuna trap" once used by the local fishermen. Sicily has an ancient tradition of catching and processing tuna, hence these fascinating remains. The tuna trap at Tonnara Beach, also known as the "Bafutu", was recently restored and can still be seen today at the water's edge. It is 100 metres long with a series of pillars that once supported the roof. It also has a high chimney. Nearby you can also see the old fishermen's cottages. The Swabian Toweris a defensive structure erected in 1400 to protect the food stores at what was once a flourishing port. The imposing building still has the original windows. Beaches and nature trails Exploring the Vendicari Nature Reserve on foot or by bike is simply a delight. The protected area covers 1512 hectares of the province of Syracuse, from the town of Noto as far as Pachino. There are several other beautiful beaches, including the stunning San Lorenzo, great for children and located very close to the Tonnara, of which it is the natural continuation. In addition to the stretch of fine clear sand, you'll also find small rocky inlets and a real gem of a beach, the Calamosche, an idyllic sandy cove bordered by two rocky headlands offering shelter from currents and creating an enchanting natural swimming pool. Along the path that leads to the beach of San Lorenzo, for lovers of birdwatching, there are special sighting huts. The walk takes you past junipers, tamarisks, mastic trees, willows, wonderful orchids, thyme and rosemary plants. Eyes to the sky to spot the herons and large flocks of royal seagulls, while in the undergrowth you might spot the occasional fox, hedgehog, porcupine or wild rabbit. And even further south... Towards the extreme southern tip of Sicily, the Island of Correnti is the point where the Ionian Sea meets the Mediterranean. Rugged and unspoilt, it is connected to Portopalo by a thin strip of stone. Then head to the resort of Marzamemi, a charming seaside village built around its majestic tuna trap. The little village has a delightful main square, Piazza Regina Margherita with two churches and a cluster of old fishermen's cottages. Stroll through the centre at your leisure: the whole village is pedestrianised and cars are prohibited. Sip your coffee overlooking the sea, in the bars facing thetwo natural harbours, La Fossa and La Balata. Or you can sit outdoors at one of the many restaurants and order the prawns of Mazara del Vallo, pasta with Pachino tomatoes or local specialities based on yellowfin or bluefin tuna and bottarga tuna, which you can also buy from the large delicatessen in the village centre.