"Seven ancient temples on a ridge above the Mediterranean, where Greek devotion became stone"
Valle dei Templi
Agrigento, Sicilia, Italia
The Valle dei Templi in Agrigento preserves seven ancient Greek temples along a south-facing ridge overlooking the sea. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 and the largest archaeological park in the Mediterranean at 1,300 hectares, it stands as one of the most complete testimonies of Greek sacred architecture outside mainland Greece.
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Quick Facts
Location
Agrigento, Sicilia, Italia
Tradition
Site Type
Coordinates
37.2877, 13.5846
Last Updated
Mar 9, 2026
Akragas was one of the wealthiest and most populous Greek colonies, founded in 580 BC and described by Pindar as the most beautiful city of mortals.
Origin Story
Akragas was established around 580 BC by settlers from Gela, itself a colony founded by Greeks from Rhodes and Crete. The city grew rapidly under a succession of rulers, reaching its zenith under the tyrant Theron (488-472 BC), who defeated the Carthaginians at Himera in 480 BC and initiated an ambitious building program. At its peak, the city may have held 200,000 inhabitants and was among the wealthiest in the Mediterranean. The Carthaginian siege of 406 BC devastated the city, but the temples — built of the local golden calcarenite — survived. Roman conquest in 210 BC brought new modifications, and the conversion of the Temple of Concordia to a Christian church in the 6th century AD ensured its remarkable preservation.
Key Figures
Theron
Tyrant of Akragas who initiated major temple construction
Pindar
Greek poet who praised Akragas as 'the dwelling place of Persephone'
Spiritual Lineage
The Valle dei Templi represents the full arc of Greek Doric temple architecture in Sicily, from the archaic Temple of Heracles (c. 510 BC) to the classical Temple of Concordia (c. 430 BC). The site documents the development of an architectural tradition that would become one of the defining achievements of Western civilization.
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