The Valley of the Temples - Agrigento

Akragas was founded in 581 BC by farmers coming from the Greek islands, from Gela and Rhodes. It extended 450ha and was bounded by the basins of the river Akragas (the current San Biagio river) and Hypsas (the current Sant’Anna), which flew into the San Leone river and then into the sea, where the ancient port rose.

Erected to defend the southernmost coast of the island between Gela and Selinunte, the town territory included the hill of Girgenti, the Rupe Atenea and the valley delimited to south by the crest of several rock hills. The imposing buildings still standing recall the grandeur of the ancient town praised as ''the most beautiful of mortal cities'' by Pindar and counting over 200.000 inhabitants. They are the sacred temples, the necropolis, the Hellenistic-Roman district, the ruins of the ancient gates of the city and the underground water supply system. Remains of the archaic period were found on the hill of Girgenti where the Acropolis laid.

As the most Greek towns, Akragas was divided into sections: the upper one included the sanctuaries and the lower the administration center. The majestic and imposing temples were built in the Doric style with tufo, which is the local calcareous stone with an intense yellow color. They were likely covered with coats of marble dust, whose traces are still visible. Their wonderful location was chosen on a non-arable area.

The lower town plan consisted of long orthogonal arteries creating blocks with rather regular measures. Around the town a strong system of fortification was set up along the crests of the hills and the nearby deep valleys. At the point of intersection of the defensive walls and the roads the gates of the town opened. One of them, called Porta Aurea, was situated between the temple of Zeus and the temple of Hercules, where the road linking the archeological site with the modern town runs at the current time.

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