Akraga

A semi-circular ridge binds the 'modern' hilltop town of Agrigento to the sea,and half way down on a plateau overlooking the sea between the rivers Hypsas and Akragas, the town of Akragas was established around CLXXII anno urbis conditae (to use the Roman calendar). It was laid out on a grid sytem with standard blocks about 180m by 30m of standardised semi-detached bungalows. Traces of these homes are observable and I wandered through their sitting rooms and bedchambers imagining life 2600 years ago.
Most of the site has not been excavated (yet) and people come to see the remains of eight temples (and various other remains). The temples are in the Doric style and unusually, had stairways giving access to the roof, presumably as a lookout station to sea.
+ At the East end: the Temple of Hera or Juno. There are some standing columns, the remains of a huge stone sacrificial altar alongside, and steps where the masonry still shows traces of the fires of 406 BC, when Akragas was conquered and sacked by the Carthaginians.
+ The next temple along the ridge, dedicated to Concordia, is one of the best-preserved temples of the ancient world as it was preserved by the Christians to use as a church.
+ Looking along one of the streets towards the temple of Concordia.
+ The olive tree is over 600 years old
+ Sunset on Concordia.Read more