Though a handsome town in its own right, Agrigento is forever overshadowed by its most famous attraction. The Valley of the Temples (Valle dei Templi) unwinds a couple of kilometres beneath the 'modern' city. This collection of Doric Temples is the finest example of Sicilian-Greek remains - such as won't be found outside Greece itself in fact. It's ample evidence that Sicily was one of the major capitals of Magna Grecia in ancient times. Major points of the valley include the Tempio di Ercole (sixth century BC), the Tempio della Concordia (430BC), the Tempio di Giunone, the Tempio di Giove (Zeus) and the completely fabricated Tempio dei Dioscuri (actually assembled in 1832 from various bits of rubble that were discovered around the site). The very good Museo Nazionale Archeologico will help you to put all the bits together for yourself. The valley is a UNESCO world heritage site.
But let's not ignore 'modern' Agrigento, a handsome medieval city, with narrow stepped streets and superb views at night down over the floodlit valley. There are some fine Baroque buildings, the 13th century Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Greci (on the site of an ancient Greek temple), and the 14th century cathedral. The main thoroughfare is Via Atenea, and the town centres on the three Piazzas (Aldo Moro, Marconi and Victor Emmanuele II). The town has a railway station (Agrigento Centrale) and buses running out to the Valley of the Temples.
To the left you'll find a selection of Agrigento hotels, just to whet your appetite.
See also Agrigento hotels (full listings) and our Agrigento hotel map.
