After the long drive from Caltagirone and a night of much need rest, we began our day with a breakfast of espresso and cannoli (don’t ask me ask the hotel) and a walk through the garden with a beautiful view of the valley and the sea. Our view was the first hint as to what we would see later that morning in the valley below.
View of the Valley from the Hotel Patio
After a filling breakfast, we loaded on to the bus for our short drive down into The Valley of the Temples. The name would later become obvious. When we first got off the bus, the area was unassuming. Just a hill and some tree. Before we began our climb up the short hill, we were introduced to our tour guide through the valley, Claudio, like the Roman Emperor Claudius, as he joked. As we climbed the short hill, we were introduced to the story ancient city of Agrigento to the backdrop of the enchanting ruins of the Temple of Juno.
Walk Up to the Temple of Juno
In the times of the ancient Greeks, the Agrigento was called Akragas, or “high place.” The name was to describe its place on a high plateau. The city was settled in 581 BC by the Greeks from Syracuse down the coast for its natural harbor, and rich forests after they took it from the Carthaginians. It grew into a major Mediterranean port by the 5th century, with a staggering population of 300,000, large even compared to the modern city. While its history is notable, the most famous thing about Agrigento is its Greek temples, which are some of the most well preserved Greek temples in the world. The valley served as sacred space for the people of Akragas.
As we reached the top of the hill, we stopped to marvel at our first temple of the day, the ruins of the Temple of Juno or Hera.
The Temple of Juno was built to honor Hera or Juno, the goddess of marriage and childbirth and wife of Zeus, king of the gods. In its day, the temple would have been breathtaking standing complete and covered in white marble and colorful scenes of Greek myths facing the rising sun. The temple was originally built by the Greeks around the 5th century BCE from sandstone bricks and columns that were covered in white marble stucco. It is one of the younger temples in the valley. Outside the temple is the altar where ancient Greek worshipers scarified animals and made offerings. One can only imagine what the temple was like during its prime. For centuries, it stood as one of the sacred temples of the valley, but today it stands only as a ruin. It survived the Roman conquest of Sicily, but it could not survive the rise of Christianity. After the Byzantines, they destroyed all of the pagan temples in Agrigento save for one. The Temple of Juno was not spared. It remained only as only a pile of rumble until it was reconstructed in the 1700s.
Temple of Juno
After visiting the Temple of Juno, we continued down deeper into the valley following the road to the Temple of Concordia. On the way, we examined the ancient city walls of the Akragas. The city was surrounded by natural protective stone walls that guarded the city from attack. Interstingly, during their time in the city, the Byzantines used the walls as place to dig cheap tombs for the dead.
Early Christian Grave Yard
After a short break, we finally arrived at the Temple of Concordia, one of the best preserved Greek temples in the world. The entire main structure remains standing over 2,000 years after is construction in the 5th century BCE. It was built in the style of other Doric temple in the area. The Temple of Concordia was so well preserved due to its chance conversion into a cathedral by the Byzantines in 597 CE, before the destruction of the other temples in the valley. After this, the building was used by 4 different religions as different rulers took over Sicily having most of its Greek adornments scrapped away. The temple was restores to its original space in the 1700s.
Temple of Concordia
The next temple that we visited on our journey through the valley was the Temple of Hercules. The temples is one of the oldest the valley and area. It was dedicates to the demigod of strength and patron of Sicily. Very little of the temple remains now but what does has been reconstructed with original stones.
At the end of our walk, we came to the final temple in the valley, the Temple of Zeus. It would be the most grand of all the temples in the valley if it was more than a shadow of a ruin. The temples was built as the crowning jewel of the valley and to mark the Greek victory over the Carthaginians in Akargas. It was the largest temple in the valley and the 3rd largest in the Greek world. What made it unique was its sheer size and the construction of its columns. The temple was decorated by 25 stone giants to help hols up the roof. Its sheer magnitude and facade was a powerful symbol of the gods’ power. Unfortunately, all that remains now are large piles of stone that only hint as once stood in its place. Like with the other temples, it was raised to the ground by the Byzantines.
Remains of the Temple of Zeus
During our time in the Valley of the Temples, we saw the past with our own eyes and saw how Sicily was changed with the passage of time and the change of rulers as different people conquered the island. We made some new friends along the way. As we boarded the bus to go back to modern Agrigento, I couldn’t help but feel sad. But we only have only so much time in Italy. So many things to see and do and so little time. Now we move onto to Palermo.
Haley Making Friends w/ a Park Dog
Camera Mishap
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