The Greek poet Pindar defined the city of Akragas as “the most beautiful city among all that is a host for men." Archaeological Area of Agrigento - #UNESCO heritage..#tuttitaly
No place in Italy has left me with more unforgettable memory than the Valley of the Temples.
Walking in this valley of history is like being catapulted back in time. The feeling is just that, I assure you. As soon as you set foot in this archaeological park, you feel captivated by the history, and you will be immediately catapulted into 580 BC, when it was founded.
Yet I have seen some archaeological sites, but no one like the Valley of the Temples has conveyed such a unique feeling to me. It may be the isolated position on the hills, the rocky land you step on, the panorama with a sea view, maybe the scents you breathe, but above all, the stunning, perfectly preserved temples.
The Archaeological Park covers 1300 hectares and is one of the planet's largest, most influential, and best-preserved archaeological sites. Its landscape heritage is genuinely extraordinary. Walking around the park, you will also see gigantic olive trees and ancient almond trees that have been there for millennia and are certainly the only witnesses of the evolution of this place and the passage of man in these ancient lands.
The main monument best preserved in the entire archaeological area is the Temple of Concordia, where inscriptions in Latin have been found. For this reason, it is thought that there was harmony between the Greeks and the Romans in the Agrigento area, demonstrating that in that period in which the temples were born, peace and prosperity reigned between these two peoples.
The 10 Temples you will find in the valley are each dedicated to a particular divinity that I list below: Zeus, Hercules, Juno, Concordia, Olympus, Hephaestus, Castor, Pollux, Asclepius, Demeter, Isis, and Athena.
The last temple, dedicated to Isis and Athena, is not in the Archaeological park. However, the one in the historic center of Agrigento is still considered one of the ten temples within the Valley.
All the Temples are also facing East because the statues of each deity had to be illuminated at sunrise.
Curiosity
For about two years, the site has been flown over by American drones trying to reconstruct a virtual map of the ancient city of Akragas.
The Valley of the Temples is the best place in Italy that I can recommend for your next trip.
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