The Valley of the Temples

Agrigento: The Valley of the Temple

This archeological tour of Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples is quasi mandatory if you are passionate about ancient Greek colonies in Sicily. This archeological walk, led by a docent specialized in archeology, is a voyage, an encounter with a past civilization of paramount importance with regard to the economic and cultural development of the island and a great part of the Mediterranean world. Following its foundation by the Greeks in 581 B.C.E, Agrigento quickly became an important trading center between Europe and Africa. This site, rightly called the valley of the temples, as it boasts a series of magnificent temples dating back to the 5^th century B.C.E., is ideally located in a delightful countryside filled with beautiful almond groves and ancient olive trees.

: excavations of the area of the Chthonic Divinities

: remains of a sacrificial altar

: The Sanctuary of the Chtonic Divinities amidst the almond and olive trees

: The reconstructed temple of Castor and Pollux

: The temple of Castor and Pollux

: in the Sanctuary of the Chtonic Divinities

: columns of the Temple of Heracles

: The temple of Heracles

: The well preserved Temple of the Concord

: inside view of the Temple of the Concorde

Itinerary:

– Meet your docent in front of the S Nicola church, next to the archaeological museum. You will look at some Hellenestic architecture and mosaics in the company of your expert in archaeology.

– The expert-led tour of the Valley of the Temples begins with the visit of the huge excavation area that includes remains of homes and temples with various shrines dedicated to the cult of deities like Demeter and Persephone. The visit moves on to the immense and complex heap of remains of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, perhaps the largest Doric temple ever built.

– This tour of Agrigento’s archaeological park continues with a visit to the Temple of Heracles, the oldest in the series (dated to the 6th century B.C.E) and moves on to two of the best preserved temples on the site, the temple of Hera and that of the Concordia, the latter being the second best preserved Doric Temple after that of Hephaestos in Greece. Its conversion into a church in the 6th century C.E. explains how most of its original structure remained intact.

Rates:*

Number of participants	Prices per participant in euros
5-10	40.00
4	50.00
3	70.00
2	90.00
1	175.00

* The above rates do not include the transport to and fromthe archeological site and the entrance fees (€10.00)

Contact us to book your private tour of the Valley of the Temple. We will let you know about our availabilities and answer any questions you may have.