Provinz Agrigent  

 

 
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Stadtansicht Agrigent
Herasklestempel
Concordiatempel
Ancient Greece aficionados will have heard of the world famous Valley of the Temples and its wonderfully preserved Temple of Concordia. The province, however, has even more to offer than that, such as the beautiful old towns of Sciacca and Naro. Natural monuments like the Macalube of Aragona can be found here. In the following, I have compiled some suggestions for guided tours that I can offer in Agrigento and the Valle dei Templi. At the end, I have listed some attractions that can be included in the sightseeing programme. Don’t hesitate to get in touch to talk about your individual preferences.

Highlights in Agrigento and Province

1. The Greek Art of Religious Architecture: The Valle dei Templi (2hrs)
Walking through the world famous Valle dei Templi (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage), we start at the Temple of Juno with its prominent sacrificial altar. We move on to the remains of the old town walls and past almond trees to the almost perfectly preserved Concordia Temple, where we study the principles of ancient architecture. The Temple of Heracles offers great views over the African Sea, before we move on to the gigantic Temple of Zeus. We then stroll along the impressive Demeter sanctuary to the Temple of the Dioscuri, and learn about their ancient mysteries cult.

2. Greek Vase Paintings and Walk through the Valle dei Templi (4hrs)
The Archaeological Museum of Agrigento does not only boast an impressive selection of ancient vases, but also numerous marble and lime stone sculptures, Grecian and Roman sarcophagi and various everyday objects of the old Greeks. After the museum, we pay a visit to the former Cistercian church of San Nicola with its marble Phaedra sarcophagus, and learn about the sad myth of the lovesick Phaedra. We then continue to the Valle dei Templi, where we not only admire the perfect architecture

3. Temple Walk, Visit to the Archaeological Museum and Old Town of Agrigento (8hrs)
On our walk through the Valle dei Templi, we not only admire the ancient art of architecture, but also the view over the African Sea and the sight of the numerous almond and Saracen olive trees. We then continue at the Archaeological Museum, where we retrace the development of Greek vase painting and look at the numerous sculptures and sarcophagi from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Walking in the footsteps of Goethe, we take in the old Cistercian church of San Nicola and admire the relief decoration of the marble Phaedra sarcophagus. After that, we visit the high-lying old town, once the acropolis of the ancient Agrigento. There we stroll past some beautiful palaces to the Cistercian monastery, the Town Hall, the church of Santa Maria dei Greci and the cathedral.

 

Main Sightseeing Attractions in Agrigento and Province

Agrigento
Cattedrale
The cathedral dates back to the Norman era, but has been altered several times since.

Chiesa Santa Maria dei Greci
This church is built on the – still visible – remnants of an ancient temple

Museo Archeologico Regionale di Agrigento
The Archaeological Regional Museum exhibits pottery from the different eras of Sicilian history (Copper Age, Bronze Age, Greek and Roman antiquity), as well as Greek and Roman statues, sarcophagi and architectural fragments.

San Nicola
In this former Cistercian monasterial church, a beautiful Roman marble sarcophagus is exhibited. Its relief tells the story of the myth of Phaedra.  

Valle dei Templi
In the Valley of the Temples close to the town walls of the ancient town of Akragas, a whole congregation of classical and Dorian temples can be found. This highly impressive archaeological park has been listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.

Cattolica Eraclea
Museo archeologico regionale Eraclea Minoa
Remains of an ancient theatre from the 3rd/4th century BC.

Licata
This town of 40.000 inhabitants is located on the seaside between Gela and Agrigento. The town hall and some palaces in Art Nouveau style are well worth a visit.

Naro
The little town of Naro has an old medieval town centre and castle.

Santa Margherita di Belice
Parco Letterario del Gattopardo
The small village of Santa Margherita di Belice was heavily damaged by the big earthquake of 1968. It is highly impressive to walk around the still existing ruins. But most of all, Santa Maria di Belice is famous for the Palazzo Filangeri di Cutò, the summer palace of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. In the meantime a literary park was created inside the palace remembering Tomasi di Lampedusa's famous novel The leopard.

Sant’Angelo Muxaro
Outside of this farming village in the hinterland of Agrigento province, there are numerous Bronze Age necropoles. Especially the Prince’s Grave impresses with its sheer size.

Sciacca
This town of 40.000 inhabitants is the oldest Spa town in Sicily. Sciacca has a beautiful old town centre and still boasts a few spas.

Sightseeing Agrigento

 

 
Dr. Anita Bestler