Our archaeological trek around Agrigento will start from the highest point in the city, the Girgenti Hill featuring the charming Cathedral of Saint Gerlando. We’ll walk along the labyrinthine alleys of the old town centre, going back in time through the history of this intriguing district: from today to the 5th Century BC, when this rocky outcrop was the location of the Temple of Athena.
By visiting the ancient town centre, we will delve deep into its continuous transformations over the centuries: the Medieval Girgenti, the Arabic Kerkent, the Roman Agrigentum and then the Greek Akragas, celebrated as “the most beautiful city of mortal men” by the Greek poet Pindar.
After leaving the lovely old city behind us, we’ll stroll along the enchanting eastern city walls, which overlook a lush valley boasting olive and almond groves, once the residential area of the Greek and Roman Agrigento. We’ll then admire the astonishing Greek Temples of Juno, “Concordia”, Heracles and Zeus, which were all built along the southern hill, a rocky crest used as sacred area during the Classical period. Our private archaeological tour will continue across the luxuriant citrus grove of Kolymbetra, an area used as an artificial lake by the Greeks and Romans. The Temple of Hephaestus will finally lead us to the agora (the Greek square), which was the vibrant commercial and political core of Akragas.
