Among the various tourist attractions you can see in Sicily, there is, with no shadow of grey, The Valley of the Temples. Placed outside the town of Agrigento on the western side of Sicily The Valley of the Temples includes eight handsome and magnificent Doric temples and other ancient Greek remains that form the most important archaeological park in the south of Italy. Just for its extraordinary global importance, in 1997, this area was declared by Unesco as a World Heritage. When you visit this Valley for the first time, you’ll sense a mysterious and charming atmosphere. In front of you: eight wonderful temples and, around, the other remains rebuilt over the centuries to preserve the most important historical details of the Greek and Hellenic culture.
The outstanding temples that gave the name to this place are: the Temple of Concordia, the Temple of Juno, the Temple of Heracles, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the Temple of Vulcano and the Temple of Asclepius. In reality, the name of this Valley is a mistake, because all the remains rise in a spur and in the tip of a hill just a few miles away from Agrigento. This is not a real valley, hence, but it has an effect just like a Valley.
The Temple of Concordia ( see the image) is perhaps the most towering of the temples it is possible to be seen in this place and it is the unique monument that has been kept in a good state of preservation. Its rectangular shape, with a triangle roof disposed on the main anterior façade, and the several columns that hold it, make this temple most attractive. Inside, there is a cell with the pylons to reach the same roof. This place was used as a sepulcher during the Middle Age, when the temple was restored and turned into a christian church.
The partially destroyed Temple of Juno (burnt by the Carthaginians in 406 BC) ( see the image) was rebuilt on an artificial spur in the 450 BC. It has six columns that rest on the basement with four stairs. Even with no a roof, today you can still see the remains of an altar.
The Temple of Heracles ( see the image) is an important result of a Greek acropolis probably destroyed during the Battle of the Himera. Maybe also this temple dates back to the 6 or 5 centuries BC, when he was restored with new columns. Today, you can see about eight columns resting on a foundation with three little stairs. These columns are very high and have capitals, also.
Temple of Olympian Zeus ( see the image) has only a few remains, no columns, but a line of stairs amid a rocky spur. The surroundings of this area forms the so called Olympian or Olympeion field ( see the image) dedicated to the Greek God Zeus worship. The Temple of Castor and Pollux no longer exists because it was replaced with a modern reconstruction dated to the early 19th century. This temple was rebuilt, by using the remains of other columns and temples. The style is always Doric.
The Temple of Vulcano ( see the image) is an archaic monument probably dating to 430 and 550 BC. It lies on the other side of the spur that hosts the Valley of the Temples and has a classic Doric style with six per thirteen columns that rest on a basis of four steps. The most of its Doric decorations have been rebuilt recently.
At first, the temple of Asclepius ( see the image) was built to worship the namesake God of the medicine, the one who in the Greek epoch was believed the healer of all diseases. This temple is located amid a plane called San Gregorio. It has semi columns that rise on a basement with three stairs.
All the western area of the valley of the Temples has other important remains of ancient Greek and Roman- Bizantine Necropolis. Around, there are catacombs and tombs visible in the Fragapane Cave (La Grotta DI Fragapane). Nearby is also a portico which is annexed to a gate and in the same area are also two ancient temples which date back to the VI century BC. It is important to tell, that all the monuments of the Valley of the Temples date back to the 4- 6 century BC.
Many scholars are still today discussing about the dates of the renovation of these monuments, but it is absolutely undeniable that if you want to see Sicily, you must also see the magic and unforgettable magnificence of the Valley of The Temples, namely the greatest evidence of the glorious historical past of Sicily.
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Rosalba Mancuso is a freelance journalist born in Sicily. Passionate about her loved island and with extensive writing experience, Rosalba worked as a contributor to the main Sicily’s newspapers and as a bilingual Italian – English writer. Thanks to her skills, she also founded four websites in English. On Sicilyonweb, Rosalba tells every corner of her beloved Sicily. Furthermore, she writes this blog thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you book your travel or buy products through the affiliate widgets or links you find in her posts.
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