UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Valley of Temples, Agrigento, Sicily

If the Gods of Greece fascinate you then The Valle dei Templi or the Valley of Temples Is your perfect Getaway! The most well preserved ancient Greek temples of the world are all situated on rocky crests just outside the city of Agrigento in Sicily. These ancient temples are the remnants of the Great Akragas Kindgom established by the Greeks in the 6th century BC. Akragas was the most important and culturally advanced cities of the Greeks in the Mediterranean.
O friends, ye who inhabit the great city of sacred Akragas up to the acropolis, whose care is good deeds, who harbour strangers deserving of respect, who know not how to do baseness, hail! I go about among you an immortal god, no longer a mortal, honoured by all, as is fitting, crowned with fillets and luxuriant garlands.. .
Empedocle of Akragas Fragments
This splendid archaeological site is one of the most outstanding examples of Greater Greece art and architecture, and is one of the main attractions of Sicily. It is also a UNESCO Heritage Site. The site was restored mainly due to the efforts of archaeologist Domenico Antonio Lo Faso Pietrasanta (1783-1863) who was also a Duke of Serradifalco. The Valley of Temples is the largest archaeological site in the world encompassing about 1,300 hectares of land.
Valley of Temples consists of 7 temples built between 510 BC and 430 BC. The temples are-
1. Temple of Hera
2. Temple of Concordia
3. Temple of Heracles
4. Temple of Olympian Zeus
5. Temple of Castor and Pollux
6. Temple of Hephaestos
7. Temple of Demeter
These remnants of the ancient city of Akragas is fascinating and has been a silent witness to glory, prosperity, war, destruction and they still stand defying time and tribulations. Even though many of the temples are all but gone, they still manage to give the onlooker a glimpse into the magnificence that they once were. The temples are definitely Sicily’s most important tourist attraction and are a must visit. And, afterwards for a good lunch you could head to Leon D’Oro” in San Leone, on the coast south of Agrigento!