Day 1 in Agrigento
Welcome to the Agrigento! Upon arrival, you
will go through customs and immigration. Make your transfer to your
destination, arrive at your hotel, check in and do not give in to jet lag!
There is so much for you to see and do.
Begin your afternoon in the pleasant Old Town, a nice place to
take a stroll with a beautiful network of steep alleys, cobblestone streets and
stairways that are both picturesque and historic. Take some time to enjoy lunch
at one of the small family run restaurants that serve delicious regional
dishes. Also enjoy the unique shops, there are several streets that sell
locally made products and various interesting souvenirs that are unique to this
region.
We suggest you begin your route of Old
Town at the lively street of Via
Atenea, the historical center`s main street. Along the way, sign boards will indicate
the monuments to see and visit. Make sure to pay a visit to the Holy Spirit Monastery (Monastero de Santo
Spirito` in Italian), known for their delicious almond cakes made
by nuns, and the San Gerlando
Cathedral, the most famous of all the churches. During your tour,
you can see the Greeks` Santa
Maria Church and the Episcopal Palace as well.
After a long day of exploring the
historic center, enjoy a relaxing dinner before heading back to your hotel for
a restful night sleep.
Day 2 in Agrigento
Wake up early today and
set out to explore the Valley
of the Temples, listed as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. This is a string of five Greek temples that stretch
along a ridge to the south of the city, a sight worthy of comparison to the
Acropolis itself in Athens. The temples are usually
divided into two zones: the Eastern Zone and Western Zone, each side of the main
entrance and
the road from the city center.
The first temple east of the entrance is
the Tempio di
Ercole or Temple of Hercules - closest to the
road (Temple A). This is the most ancient of the remaining temples at
Agrigento, dating back to the end of the 6th century BC, not long
after the city was founded. This circular Doric temple was built with
an extensive ground plan and dimensions of 6 by 15 pillars. The temple was
destroyed by the Carthaginians in 406 BC, rebuilt by the Romans, and
subsequently destroyed once more by an earthquake. From the temple there are views over the countryside to
various other dotted ruins, including the so-called Tomba di Theron,
a tower structure thought for years to have been the grave of a famous ruler of
Greek Akragas, but now identified as a Roman funerary monument.
Next, heading east along the ridge is the
large Tempio della Concordia or
Temple of Concord (Temple F) - a very impressive almost complete
structure due to its early conversion into a Christian church. Built around
440-450 BC, this is one of the best-preserved temples of the ancient world. Occasionally, for a
special event, you may be able to enter the structure, although this is rare. The
Agrigento temples are in the Doric style; an unusual feature is that they had
stairways giving access to the roof; the site of these steps is visible in the
Temple of Concord.
The track then continues above small cliffs
at the edge of the ridge to the Tempio di Giunone or
Temple of Juno. Partially ruined, it offers a great spot to look back
down the ridge to the other temples.
To the west of the main entrance is the
massive Tempio di Giove or
Temple of Jupiter (Temple D), which was never completed and is now in
ruins with little structure visible. Most notable is one of the huge stone
statues now lying on the ground. Behind this is the small ruins of
Tempio di Dioscure.
One of the western temples is the remains of one of the biggest
temples of antiquity, the Temple
of Olympian Zeus, (Temple B), the one dedicated to
Zeus. This temple is an enormous mass of shattered stone blocks and pillars
that an earthquake has scattered over a huge area. Unfortunately, it is almost
impossible to build up an image of this temple from the scattered, massive
heaps of stone which we can see today. The ambitious building project was
probably never completed, is likely to have been damaged by the Carthaginian
invaders, and as recently as the 18th century, much of the temple`s
stonework was carted off to the sea to build the docks at Porto Empedocle.
There have been various speculative reconstructions of the temple`s design; a
model of the most convincing recreation can be seen in the archaeological
museum nearby.
The other ruins in this western part of the site are extensive,
but much less dramatic. Low excavated walls and pavings mark the locations of
various religious buildings and shrines. This appears to have been a sacred
zone from the earliest days of the settlement of Akragas, dedicated to earth
deities such as Demeter and Kore (Persephone). A temple-corner here, known as
the Temple
of the Dioscuri, was actually re-erected in the 19th
century. On the upright columns you can still see the white stucco which was
used to decorate the Agrigento temples.
Beyond the ruins is a pretty green gorge, once a water reservoir
and fish-pond for Akragas, said to have constructed by Carthaginian prisoners
of war. Nowadays, the heritage organization FAI has turned the valley into appealing
citrus gardens, the Giardino
della Kolymbetra, displaying traditional types of
citrus trees, plants and irrigation methods. It`s a uplifting distraction from
the dusty temple landscape above. There`s a small additional charge for visiting
the gardens. The garden is entered from within the archaeological zone.
To put all
these sites in context, it is well worth visiting the Archeological
Museum. The museum is
quite interesting and covers the history of Agrigento from the earliest human
settlement. There are various exhibits relating to the Temple of Zeus, including a model of
how the temple may have looked. Some of the more decorative stonework from the
temples, including lion`s-head water-spouts, is held in the museum, so paying a
visit here is a useful addition to your time at the temple site. Across the street from
the museum is the ancient Roman quarter, which has quite a
lot of noteworthy mosaics.
After a
packed day of exploring the Valley of the Temples, spend the evening relaxing
in Agrigento`s
Old Town,
reflecting on the magnificent Valley and the Ancient Greeks that knew how to
make a lasting impression, even after two and half thousand years, it will
leave you in awe.
Day 3 in Agregento
After
the Valley of the temples, the Scala
dei Turchi or
`Turkish staircase` is undeniably the second most visited
place in Agrigento.
You will find this must-see spot! Located west of Agrigento, in Realmonte,
the Scala dei Turchi is
a white limestone cliff carved in a staircase shape by the wind and sea.
The contrast between the whiteness
of the cliff and the crystal clear waters is stunning. Perfect
photo-ops here!
Once you arrive, go down the stairs to the first beach, and on your right you will see
the Scala dei Turchi,
about 500 feet away. Don`t hesitate to climb
the so-called `steps` to admire the view, it`s really worth it!
And if you want to enjoy a quiet moment or swim, a second, smaller
beach is located just after.
We
strongly recommend you to go there at sunset,
it`s an unforgettable moment. Clearly one of the best places to visit in
Agrigtento, and even in all of Sicily! And if you want to get
a Bird`s-eye view of the cliff, you can also go
to the viewpoint. It`s on the roadside, before arriving at the Scala.
The panorama is also very beautiful there!
Continue along to the Eraclea Minoa, situated on
the southern coast of Sicily at the mouth of the river Halycus. There are ruins
here that are found near a modern town, but the surrounding landscape is even
more charming by the white cliffs that overlook the sea, the pine trees, and
the crystal clear sea water. Take some time to walk around the cliffs
and enjoy the Eraclea Minoa
beach before grabbing a meal at one of the waterfront restaurants.
Additional Days in Agrigento
Should you be able to spend additional days in Agrigento we recommend a day trip to Sciacca, a small fishing port on the southwest coast that rises on a hillside above its harbor, this has been a popular spa town since the Roman times. In addition to the beautiful charm of this town, there are some beautiful and interesting churches to explore as well. Sciacca`s most unusual attraction, however, is about a miles east of town on Via E. Ghezzi. The Catello Incantato that was created by Filippo Bentivengna, who carved thousands of heads (devils, knights, gods, and historical figures) from the rocks behind his house in the early 1900`s.
Your Last Day in Agrigento
Depart your hotel for the ferry station or airport where you will head home or make your way to more Sicilian adventures. Savor the memories of a very special time in the Sicily region.