The Valley of the Temples - Agrigento

As we have already mentioned, immediately after the tour of the cities where the fiction is shot the Commissario Montalbano we went to the valley of the temples in Agrigento.

We left from Scoglitti at 10:30 am and arrived at the valley of the temples around 12:30. Arriving in this place is very simple, moreover it is well served by car parks, as a paying one is located close to the entrance at a cost of € 3.00, while if you continue for about 1 km you arrive at a free parking lot where you can leave the car without problems.

There are various types of tickets, so we refer you to their official website. We have chosen the ticket to visit only the valley at a cost of € 10.00 per person without audio guide, but for those who wanted the cost is € 5.00 more.

Furthermore, for the bravest, we remind you that every first Sunday of the month admission is free, so we advise you to arrive very early.

Temple of Juno.

The first Temple we find is that of Juno. In reality, as with all the temples present, it is not known which deity it was actually dedicated to, the name Giunone was given for a wrong interpretation of a passage by a Roman writer who referred to the temple of Giunone present in Crotone in Magna Grecia.

Temple of Concord.

Continuing along the path we find the Temple of Concord which is considered the best preserved temple in the world. It is called the Temple of Concord by Tommaso Fazello a Sicilian historian, who found a Latin inscription with this name near the temple, although it is still unknown to whom it was dedicated. Later the temple became a church by Gregory the bishop of Agrigento. According to tradition, the latter consecrated the temple to Saints Peter and Paul after expelling the demons Eber and Raps.

Continuing we find the Paleochristian Necropolis. Here you can see over 130 tombs carved into the rock.

Temple of Hercules.

Continuing to walk, we reach the temple of Hercules or Heracles. This is the oldest temple on the site.

Its attribution to the hero is considered reliable on the basis of a passage by Cicerone that recalls the existence of a temple dedicated to Hercules at the Agora.

In the distance we can see the tomb of Terone, a funerary building in the shape of a tower. The building belonged to the Roman necropolis, Necropoli Giambertoni.

The other temple we find is that of Zeus or Jupiter, one of the largest ancient temples. What is now possible to see is what remains of it, probably according to historians this area was subject to earthquakes for which the temple was damaged.

Temple of the Dioscuri.

Following the itinerary we find the Temple of the Dioscuri, which according to tradition was dedicated to the twins Catore and Pollice born from the union between Zeus and Leda, wife of the king of Sparta Tindaro.

Our tour ends here, although there are many other attractions present, such as the temple of Vulcano which is located in the garden of the Kolimbetra, the temple of Athena, the temple of Demeter and much more.

It’s a nice place, we recommend visiting this valley, there is also a shuttle service available for € 3.00 which leaves from the temple of Juno.

There is also an area used for refreshment, where you can make a small stop, many toilets and benches scattered around the valley.