The Valley of the Temples sits between Agrigento and the coast. Built by slaves in the 5th century BC, these are some of the best preserved Greek temples in Italy. Originally, there were 15 temples but only a few remain today. It's a large complex but the routes are easy to navigate. Enter the Valley of the Temples at its eastern end, at the Temple of Juno.
The Temple of Juno was built in 460 BC. It has 34 columns, 6 on the short sides and 13 on the long sides. It was destroyed by earthquakes in the 16th century and re-assembled by a wealthy nobleman in 1787.
The inner cella, a room that held the statue of the divinity.
Outside the temple, on the eastern side, is a raised altar. This is where sacrifices were made.
In the distance, you can see the sandstone quarry.
Rick Steves says it's a half mile walk from one end of the complex to the other but it seemed longer.
Ancient wall from 500 BC. This is what remains of the original 7 miles of walls with 9 gates.
Burial niches in the wall.
Some of the niches have eroded and now offer ocean views.
The path through the Valley of the Temples.
The Temple of Concordia is one of the best preserved Greek temples in the world. It was built in 435 BC. The temple was used as a church for nearly 1200 years until 1788 when it was stripped back to its original state and appreciated as an ancient site.
Capra Girgentana (Girgentana goats) can be found in the Valley. Look at their twisted horns.
Near the goat enclosure, Villa Aurea is a garden and home built by Alexander Hardcastle, an English nobleman who used his fortune to reconstruct the temples.
Further along is the Temple of Hercule, the only temple not built by slaves. Most of the temple collapsed except 1 column on the northwest side. Eight other columns were re-assembled in the 1920s.
Temple of Olympian Zeus was built to celebrate victory at the Battle of Himera. This temple had a unique architectural plan. Instead of open columns, the temple had a solid outer wall with interlinked columns. Only 5% of the original temple remains. The temple collapsed in 1401 and the building materials were scavenged and used to build other structures, including a pier near Porto Empedocle. Originally, there were 38 giant telamon figures which held up the roof.
Remains of 3 of these telamon figures lie scattered around the site.
The last temple is the Temple of Castor and Pollux. Only four columns were reconstructed
If you have time, you can also visit the Kolymbethra Gardens, a water reservoir in Greek times then drained by the Arabs and turned into a garden. There is a separate admission fee.
2022 04 16
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