Agrigento

Agrigento

 

Location: Province of Agrigento Map

 

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Agrigento or Akragas as it was known to the ancients is located in the southwestern end of island of Sicily. It was a powerful city - state independent of its mother - city. Rich revenues that it made from trade and wheat production were used to build magnificent temples in the valley just two miles from a modern city.

 

Travel Destinations in Agrigento

The historic center of Agrigento can be identified on the western summit of the ancient Girgenti hill. Dating back to the medieval age of the eleventh and fifteenth centuries, it still retains various medieval buildings (churches, monasteries, convents and noble palaces).

Since April 2016 it has officially returned to its name Girgenti.

In the historic center there are significant testimonies of Arab-Norman art, including in particular the cathedral of San Gerlando, the Palazzo Steri seat of the seminary, the bishop's palace, the Basilica of Santa Maria dei Greci and the monumental complex of Santo Spirito and the gates of the walls.

 

Ancient cites

The most important archaeological site is the Valley of the Temples, dating back to the Hellenic period, with the remains of ten temples in Doric order, three sanctuaries, a large concentration of necropolis (Montelusa; Mosè; Pezzino; Roman necropolis and tomb of Terone; early Christian; Acrosoli), various hydraulic works (garden of the Kolymbetra and the hypogea), fortifications, part of a Hellenistic-Roman quarter built on a Greek plan and two important meeting places: the lower Agora (not far from the remains of the temple of Olympian Zeus) and the upper Agora (located inside the museum complex); there is also an Olympeion and a Bouleuterion (council chamber) from the Roman period on a Greek plan. The Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples is the largest archaeological complex in the world (about 1300 ha). The temple of Olympian Zeus was the largest temple in Magna Graecia.

 

Temple of Concord

One of the best preserved temples in Agrigento is a Temple of Concord. Partially it is due to the fact that in the 6th century AD it was converted to Christian Church. Additionally the area around the temple has remains of early Christian tombs and catacombs. In the 18th century the Temple of Concord became the monument of Hellenistic culture.

 

Temple of Zeus

Another majestic temple in the area of Agrigento is that of Zeus. It was probably commemorated to the victory of joint forces of Akragas (Agrigento) and Syracuse over Carthaginians under Hamilcar in 480 BC. The slave labor used in its construction was that of Carthaginian prisoners of war. According to historian Diodorus Siculus the temple was a magnificent structure, but it was not completed. The dimensions of the temple would have been 112 meters by 56 meters, with a height of 20 meters. The colossal telamons those remains are still visible lying on the ground supported the weight of the roof and symbolizes former enslavement of the Greeks by the Carthage.

 

Temple of Demeter and Persephon

Other temples in the area were devoted to Heracles (oldest temple), of Demeter and Persephone, Hephaestus and Asclepius. The temples were ruined by earthquakes that toppled many of them. The destruction was added by later generations who used the stone as a building material for later structures.

 

Another important archaeological site is the Rupe Atenea, the highest point of the ancient city of Akragas, where the remains of a Hellenistic oil mill have been found, and on its southwestern slopes one of the numerous temples of the Chthonic deities is preserved, incorporated into the church medieval church of San Biagio.

The site where the city of Akragas then arose, may have been the place where the city of Kamikos once stood, the first and most powerful Sican city led by the legendary Kokalos, the king who hosted Daedalus after his escape from the labyrinth of Knossos in Crete. The legend states that Minos, having tracked down Daedalus at the court of Kokalos, left for Sicania to have the brilliant architect delivered and killed, being killed by the Sican king's daughters after being lured with a trap.

 

Religious architectures

Episcopal seminary, Annexed is the Steri Chiaramonte palace dating back to the fourteenth century. The Palace was progressively enlarged to include three atriums. The exterior has balconies in Baroque style, while inside is the suggestive Chiaramonte hall. In the atrium there is a bust dedicated to Pope John Paul II, and some marble tombstones, among which the one to the students of the seminary who fell during the First World War stands out.
Episcopal Palace. Built in the first half of the 17th century, it was extended several times by various bishops. Outside it has an imposing portal, while inside, in addition to numerous relics from the diocesan museum, it is possible to admire the portraits of the seven holy bishops, the work of Francesco Sozzi of the 18th century.
Curia Arcivescovile, adjacent to the Bishop's Palace with which it shares an almost identical architectural style.
Lucchesiana Library, separated from the Bishop's Palace thanks to the Church of Sant'Alfonso, has a beautiful portal on the outside. The library is full of over 60,000 volumes of ancient dating, sixteenth century and incunabula arranged on wooden shelves of considerable artistic value. Inside it is also possible to admire the statue of Bishop Andrea Lucchesi Palli (1692-1768), from whom the library takes its name, and donor of almost half of the book heritage. The eighteenth-century wooden shelves are of great value.
Palazzo del Boccone del Povero, which has an elegant door. In the courtyard inside it is possible to admire a marble half-bust of the founder.
Palaces Istituto Granata and Istituto daughters of Sant'Anna, connected to each other and forming a vast architectural complex.
Palazzo Zirafa, formerly Palazzo Montaperto. The entire building, whose façade overlooks Piazza Pirandello and partly on the Teatro alley, is decorated with a continuous ribbon of three mullioned windows and numerous other decorative and ornamental elements. On the façade there is a commemorative plaque dedicated to Pope Leo XIII.
College of Oblates
Fonduk, an ancient body making up the first Episcopal Palace, now home to exhibition spaces.

 

Churches

Cathedral of San Gerlando. The Cathedral was built starting from the second half of the 11th century, consecrated in 1099 by Bishop Gerlando, declared a saint and then dedicated to him in 1305.
Sanctuary of San Calogero, 16th century. The church has three naves and inside the decorations follow the Baroque style. On the façade, in a niche, the statue of San Calogero with the characteristic doe stands out.
Sanctuary of the Addolorata. In its basements, which can be accessed through an opening carved out of the rock, there are crypts, called the Crypts of the Addolorata.
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception or San Francesco. 17th century. The basilica has a single nave. the façade is in the Baroque style with three orders with two imposing bell towers and the statue of the Patron Saint of Italy, in white marble. On the bell tower, however, there is the statue of the Madonna with the child. Inside there are some marble tombs of nobles and ecclesiastics. In February 1940, Pope Pius XII elevated it to the dignity of a minor basilica.
Basilica of Santa Maria dei Greci (built on the foundations of a Doric temple). XII century the façade is in Arab-Norman style and is accessed through a courtyard bordered by a Baroque style portal. Inside, the foundations of the Doric temple of Giove Polieo are visible thanks to the glass floor, while frescoes are recognizable on the walls. The church was initially intended for Greek Orthodox worship. The courtyard leads to further remains of the Doric temple. In the adjacent building, temporary exhibitions are now housed.
Church of San Francesco di Paola XVII century the façade has two orders with two massive bell towers. Above the entrance door, there is a bas-relief depicting the Saint. Inside, numerous canvases of exquisite workmanship.
Church of San Nicola XIII century the interior with a single nave shares the Norman-Gothic style with the facade with a pointed arch portal. On the external façade, moreover, above the two massive columns and the portal, there are some marble decorations, including the bas-reliefs of Saints Peter and Paul. Inside there is a marble sarcophagus that offers the legend of Phaedra and Hippolytus and the famous wooden crucifix described in the story of Pirandello the Lord of the ship.
Church of the monastery of Santo Spirito XI century the church has a single nave and has valuable stuccos by Serpotta inside. while the facade is in Gothic style with a portal surmounted by a rose window, the interior is entirely in splendid Baroque style. The stuccoes by Giacomo Serpotta (early 18th century) stand out, most of them probably made by his brother Giuseppe.

 

Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli XVIII century inside there is a portrait of the patron saint of the city, San Gerlando
Church of San Vincenzo
Church of San Alfonso dei liguori; 16th-17th century it is accessed through the Palazzo della Biblioteca Lucchesiana and is adjacent to the convent of the Redemptorist fathers. The interior has a single nave with stuccoes, arches and numerous paintings. Consecrated in 1854, it was the first church in the world dedicated to Sant'Alfonso de Liguori.
Church of Itria 16th century. the church has a single nave but closed to worship. in it the Greek-Albanian rite was celebrated. the façade and the portal are in the mannerist style.
Church of San Giuseppe XVII-XVIII century the façade in Baroque style is enriched by a double order of steps and two bell towers. The interior has a single nave.
Church of Purgatory or of San Lorenzo (now deconsecrated) XV-XVI century the façade is in Baroque style, enriched by numerous statues, in particular those on the sides of the portal, delimited by two spiral columns, represent the allegories of faith and charity . inside the building, with a single nave, presents sculptures traditionally given to Giacomo Serpotta and houses a reliquary. The ceiling has a false dome. In all likelihood, the very coarse stuccos can be attributed to a pupil of Giacomo Serpotta who used his drawings.
Church of San Pietro (now deconsecrated) XVIII century the façade has a Baroque portal, while the interior, with a single nave, presents numerous paintings.
Church of Santa Lucia or of the Assumption XVIII century the façade is in late Baroque-Neoclassical style.
Church of Santa Croce XIV century.
Church of San Giovanni dei Teutonici; Built inside the former Hospital of San Giovanni di Dio in Via Atenea. Today only the ruins remain.
Church of Santa Rosalia XVII century the majestic Baroque facade was replaced due to restoration work never started. today the façade is in red bricks.
Church of San Domenico XVII century the façade in Baroque style is enriched by a double order of stairs; above the entrance door, there is a bas-relief depicting the Madonna with the child surmounted by two angels. The bell tower is unusually set back from the main façade and is made of polychrome majolica ceramics; inside there are valuable paintings, including an imposing Madonna del Rosario presumably from the early 18th century. The primitive conventual institution of the Order of Preaching Friars, seventh in the land of Sicily, was founded in 1313 by the Chiaramonte marquises.
Church of San Giacomo XVI century.
Church of San Giorgio degli Oblati XIII century located in the immediate vicinity of the Steri of Agrigento was built in the Chiaramonte period in white stone from Comiso in the Gothic style. It has a rich wooden portal that has several elements similar to the portal of the Steri in Palermo and with that of the old cathedral of Naro.
Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso or Badiola XIV century the façade is in Renaissance style, while inside with a single nave there are numerous paintings. On the façade there is the statue of the SS. Maria del Soccorso.
Church of the Carmine or Giaggi portal, deconsecrated.
Church of Santa Caterina (now deconsecrated).
Church of San Girolamo (now deconsecrated) XVI-XVII century.
Chiesa delle Forche (now deconsecrated) 16th century in late Renaissance style. below it could be an ancient Doric temple.
Church of the Madonna della Catena (now deconsecrated and located in the Villaseta district).
Church of San Felice Martire (located in the hamlet of Montaperto).
Church of the Rosario (located in the village of Montaperto).
Church of San Leone; located in the coastal village of San Leone, it has ancient origins dating back to the Norman period.
Church of Santa Maria Monte dei Pegni (only remains).
Church of San Libertino (only remains).
Church of the Santissimo Crocifisso or San Vito in a modern style.
Church of Santa Maria delle Recommended, is located near the Cathedral and today only the ruins remain.

Modern and contemporary churches
Church of S.S. Crucifix, or of San Vito, in Piazza Diodoro Siculo
Providence Church, in via Manzoni
Church of the Madonna del Carmelo, in via Dante
Church of Our Lady of Fatima, in via Callicratide
Church of the Madonna of all Graces, in via Demetra
Church of Santa Gemma, in via Imera
Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, at the Moses Village
Church of San Gregorio, in via Cavaleri Magazeni
Church of San Nicola, in Fontanelle
Church of San Pio X, in the Peruzzo Village
Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, at the Quadrivio Spinasanta
Co-cathedral of Santa Croce, in Villaseta
Church of Santa Rosa, in the Mosè Village
Christian Evangelical Church Assemblies of God in Italy, in via Mattarella
Waldensian Evangelical Church, in via Damareta

 

Monasteries

Santo Spirito Monastery, home to some sections of the Civic Museums.
Monastery of the Recommended

Convents
Convent of the Augustinian Fathers (building used as a Civic Museum)
Convent of San Nicola (seat of some rooms of the Archaeological Museum)
Chiaramontano Convent of the minor Frenchmen (headquarters of the Chiaramontane factories)
Collegio dei Padri Filippini (now home to the Pinacoteca) In the atrium there is a well and a marble plaque dedicated to the students of the technical institute who fell for their homeland during the First World War.
Remains of the Chiaramonte portal canonical convent of rahalmari.
Convent of the Redemptorist Liguorini Fathers, seat of the house museum, furnishings and sacred art.
Convent of San Vito. The imposing and massive structure, distinguished by its vastness, was originally a convent but was used as a prison in the city and expanded. Today it is preparing to be the seat of the Municipal Historical Archive, and to host cultural associations.

 

Cemeteries

Bonamorone Cemetery
In it are housed monumental tombs dating back to previous centuries, real sculptural masterpieces. Among the avenues shaded by tall cypresses there are statues, chapels and mausoleums of the Agrigento brotherhoods. The majestic military memorial, dedicated to the fallen of the two world wars, overlooks the square at the end of the cemetery. On the southern perimeter there is also the tomb of the English Captain Hardcastle.

Piano Gatta Cemetery

 

Civil architectures

Palaces
Palazzo della Provincia and Prefecture, dating back to 1858, located in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. The building is characterized by a mighty entrance bordered by two columns, and by two elegant balconies on both sides. Inside there is the ancient Pala di San Domenico and the Altarpiece of the coronation of the Virgin among the saints, dating back to the seventeenth century.
Palazzo della Questura, adjacent to the provincial and prefecture building in Vittorio Emanuele square.
Former Notary Archive building. The building stands in front of the sanctuary of San Calogero and is separated from the Carabinieri barracks by the Vadalà square, on which the statue of Empedocle stands out. Today the structure is the seat of the municipal library.
Building of the Civil Engineers, in Viale della Vittoria. It stands, as the crow flies, in front of the Bank of Italy building.
Palazzo delle Poste, located in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. The imposing building, from the fascist era, was built in 1936 with a circular shape that makes it unique in its kind. Designed by the architect Angiolo Mazzoni del Grande, designer of the Termini station among other things. It features tall and mighty square columns that help make it look elegant. Inside the colonnade stands a monument depicting some soldiers of the First World War, as well as numerous mosaics arranged vertically.
Central Station Building, dating back to 1931 built in neoclassical style. The building stands in Piazza Marconi and, thanks to the style, the surrounding buildings and the recent modernization of the square, it provides an extremely elegant image.
Palazzo Opera Nazionale Balilla, from 1928. Its location a few meters from the post office building helps to accentuate its particular characteristics.
Palazzo Grasso located in Piazza Marconi, a few meters from the Bank of Italy building.
Bank of Italy building. The building, from the fascist era and dating back to 1932, is located a few hundred meters from the central station and has a Doric architectural style.
Palazzo Albergo Bel See.
INCIS palaces, in Piazza Diodoro Siculo, built in the Fascist era. Each building is characterized by two internal entrances characterized by columns. There are also ornaments and decorative details.
Palazzo delle Finanze, an elegant building located in Viale della Vittoria today the headquarters of the Revenue Agency. Originally the complex was the most elegant and important hotel in the city.
Palace of the Civil Engineers, in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, from 1951.
Banco di Sicilia Palace.
INAIL building, from 1954.
Notarial Archive Building.

Former hospital building in via Atenea, rebuilt in 1867. It stands right at the entrance to via Atenea, a few meters from Porta di Ponte. The hospital initially presented, annexed, an important and characteristic church, now left to abandonment and neglect. The main façade faces Via Atenea, and has two different entrances, both imposing and built in neoclassical style, a few tens of meters from each other. They consist of a two-column portico, which opens to a courtyard with a short staircase, flanked by two pillars.
Palazzo Borsellino, dating back to the eighteenth century. The Palace overlooks the Via Atenea and is located exactly opposite the old hospital. The building, which rises on three floors, has a portal bordered by two imposing pillars supporting a Doric-style architrave. One of the major ornamental features is represented by the noble coat of arms of the family, placed under the architrave and very well finished. Other artistic and decorative finishes of considerable value make this noble palace one of the most elegant in the city.
Palazzo Carbonaro, from the 1700s. The structure, which overlooks Via Atenea and has very scenic adorned balconies on the first floor, is enriched by a neoclassical-style portal with two columns supporting a Doric-style architrave.
Palazzo Noto-Biondi, formerly Palazzo Sala, dating back to the eighteenth century. The building, which stands a few meters from the Carbonaro palace, does not have architectural motifs of particular interest, but has a round portal.
Palazzo Costa, built around the end of the seventeenth century. The building represents one of the best expressions of the Agrigento baroque and is characterized, in fact, by the imposing facade in Baroque style. Particular are the balconies, embellished with figurative shelves.
Palazzo Gamez, located in the street of the same name, has an elegant portal.
Palazzo Montana, from the 18th century.
Casa Granet, dating back to the nineteenth century. It faces the secondary entrance of the Church of San Francesco and presents, on the second floor, an unusual portico with eight columns in neoclassical style.
Palazzo Celauro, dating back to the eighteenth century. It too is a lively expression of the city baroque and presents, on the first floor, imposing balconies with wrought iron railings. The entrance door is really noteworthy, but it is not located in the main street, but in the perpendicular via Celauro. In 1787 W. Goethe stayed there and, at the beginning of the 20th century, also the emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. A bronze plaque has been affixed to commemorate the two hundred years that have passed since Goethe's stay.
Palazzo Pancamo in via Atenea, the first headquarters of the bank, now home to commercial activities and cultural centers.
Bentivegna Palace, dating back to the eighteenth century. The building is distinguished by the existence, on the facade overlooking Via Atenea, a votive shrine depicting the Immaculate Virgin, preciously decorated.
Palazzo Caruso, built in the nineteenth century, with particular decorations and floral ornaments.
Palazzo Catalisano, is characterized by the plaque placed in memory of Michele Foderà as well as by the elegance of the façade.
Palazzo Contarini, from the 1700s in Baroque style with elegant shelves adorned to support the balconies.
Palazzo Lauricella, on whose façade there is a commemorative plaque of the illustrious scientist.
Villa Giambertoni, in liberty style.
Alajmo house.
Vella Palace.
Palace of the Chamber of Commerce, built in 1851 in neo-Gothic style, by the architect. Tommaso Gravanti. It presents the coat of arms of the city, characterized by the three giants that support as many towers, and numerous other friezes and ornaments that make the complex of considerable architectural interest. The building is now the seat of the Chamber of Commerce, but until 1867 it was the seat of the town hall, later also hosting the Bank of Italy. The building, also known as the clock building, insists on Piazza Gallo, and faces the palaces of the old courts and next to it the building of the ancient Circolo dei Nobili.
Palazzo Galluzzo, with an elegant liberty-style entrance, also "Circolo dei Nobili".
Former palace of the court and the district court.
Building of the former empedoclea workers' society.
Circolo Empedocleo, built in 1835 in neoclassical style on a project by Raffaello Politi. In front of the ancient Church of San Giuseppe, the structure has a nine-column facade surmounted by a golden architrave. At the center of the façade it is possible to admire a rich figurative ornament depicting the Akragantine philosopher Empedocle, from whom the club takes its name. It insists on top of a short staircase overlooking a large square.

Palazzo dei Giganti, located in Piazza Pirandello. It was built in 1627 and was initially the Agrigento residence of the Tomasi family of the Princes of Lampedusa and Dukes of Palma. Blessed Isabella Tomasi was born there in 1645, daughter of the Duke Santo Carlo Tomasi, founder of the city of Palma di Montechiaro in 1637. Later it became a Dominican convent. From 1867 it became the seat of the municipality. It has a round iron portal and a series of refined ornamental windows and balconies that make it, at the same time, a compact and elegant structure. Inside it is possible to admire the Pirandello theater. In the façade of the building it is possible to see, covered by vines, several tombstones, dedicated to the fallen of Dogali in 1887, to the insurgents of 1848 and to Luigi Pirandello. In the atrium, a natural continuation of Piazza Pirandello and through which you enter the Pirandello Theater, there are two plaques dedicated to the fiftieth anniversary of the death of the Nobel Prize for literature and to the dedication of the Theater to his memory, and a bas-relief depicting Dante Alighieri.
Minelli Palace.
Portulano Palace.
Gaetani Palace.
Pujades Palace, built during the fifteenth century. Located in via Orfane, it has a portal with a lowered arch and two mullioned windows, in Gothic style, on the first floor.
Palazzo De Marinis, built in 1487 and located in via Barone. It is characterized by a pointed arched door and a very elegant balcony corbel.
Filippazzo Palace, dating back to the fifteenth century. Important decorative elements are the mullioned windows in flowery Gothic style, which make it one of the most beautiful buildings in the historic center. One of them is embellished with an ornamental fretwork.
Palazzo Tommasi, built around 1100. Located on the Sanzo plain, it has a very elegant portal with a round arch bordered by two columns. the rows of balconies are also interesting. The Palace is preparing to become the seat of important permanent art exhibitions.
Girolamo Palace.
Sala Palace.
Palazzo Lojacono-Maraventano, from the 1600s in Baroque style, has a majestic portal and is located in via Santa Maria dei Greci. The building collapsed, after years of neglect and abandonment, at dawn on April 25, 2011.
Palazzo Lo Vetere or Del Carretto, dating back to 1600. represents one of the most significant expressions of the Agrigento baroque, with a round arched portal, and a facade enriched by numerous and interesting decorative elements.
Quartana House.
Cardella Palace.
Palazzo Barone-Celauro, dating back to the eighteenth century and located in via San Girolamo.
Former British consulate building, located in via San Girolamo and characterized by a neoclassical portal.
Palazzo Del Campo-Lazzarini, dating back to the early nineteenth century. It is located in via San Girolamo, in front of the so-called small badiola. The elegant façade of the building has a large portal, and a series of finely finished windows and balconies.
Palazzo Rotolo Genuardi, formerly Palazzo Xerri, built around 1700. Located in via Neve, it has a polycentric arched portal. It was used as a court and the princes Amedeo and Umberto stayed there.
Crapanzano Palace.
A.n.a.s. Palace
Justice palace.
Pavilions of the psychiatric hospital, built in the 30s of the twentieth century on the drawings of a couple of decades before the Palermo architect Francesco Paolo Palazzotto.
Liceo Classico "Empedocle", originally a convent, in whose atrium it is possible to admire a bronze half-bust of the philosopher Empedocles with a marble plaque behind it bearing an inscription in archaic Greek, relating to the philosopher's thought.
Former psychiatric hospital complex (now home to numerous ASL offices).
Villa Altieri adjacent to the Palazzo delle Finanze.
Villa Catalisano, designed in liberty style by Ernesto Basile. The villa was, for a short time, the residence of Luigi Pirandello.
Villa Crispi, in Liberty style with characteristic marble lions in the driveway.
Villa Carrano in neoclassical style dating back to the second half of the nineteenth century.
Villa Genuardi, seat of the former faculty of literature and philosophy, was for a period a luxurious hotel in the city, the Hotel des Temples.
Villa Aurea (seat of the documentary antiquarium). In the courtyard of the villa there is a bronze bust dedicated to Alexander Hardcastle, of whom the villa was his personal residence from 1920 until his death in 1933.
Casa Morello (seat of the antiquarium of the fortifications).
Casa Barbadoro (seat of the iconographic antiquarium).
Casa Pace (seat of the early Christian-Byzantine antiquarium).
Casa Caruso in liberty style (located in the village of San Leone).
Casa Caratozzolo in Liberty style (located in the hamlet of San Leone).

Military architectures

Barracks and provincial command of the Carabinieri Biagio Pistone, built in 1908 and located in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.
Provincial Command of the Guardia di Finanza, located in Piazza Gallo in an elegant building that was an important city hotel, the Hotel Bretagne.
Antonio Mosto Guardia di Finanza barracks, located in the complex of the former military district in Piazza San Giacomo. On the façade there is a marble plaque in memory of Tommaso gallo Afflitto.
Logistics Command of the Financial Police, located at Rupe Atenea.
Girgenti Castle, was intended to house the city prison.
Military memorial to the fallen of the first and second World War, located in the monumental cemetery of Bonamorone.

Other
Sculptural monuments
Empedocles statue, in the Piazzetta Vadalà between the Library and the Carabinieri barracks. It consists of a bronze statue, depicting the philosopher surrounded by the elements that characterize his philosophy, placed on a massive marble base on which the famous phrase is engraved: 'they were always and always will be in infinite time'.
Monument to Don Bosco, in Piazza Plebis Rea. It is a bronze group, which portrays Don Bosco surrounded by young students, of whom he is the protector.
Monument to the fallen of the Great War. It has a mighty cylindrical outline in the center of which stands a marble obelisk at the top of which is a large bronze angel depicting the victory of the homeland. On the base of the obelisk there are, in each of the four facades, the names of the soldiers who died during the great war. On the second level of the base, two scenes are depicted: the first represents a peasant driving a plow pulled by oxen; the second instead reports an Italian soldier who stabs an Austrian soldier.
Monument to the Victory in the Great War, in the colonnade of the Palazzo delle Poste in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. It is an imposing sculptural group of sandstone, depicting the homeland goddess in the center and, on the sides, four foot soldiers depicted in a resting position.
Monument to the fallen of the Battle of Imera, 480 BC It is a marble stele, on which is engraved, both in Italian and in Greek, a commemorative phrase of the fallen of the battle that marked the fate of Sicily.
Monument to the fallen in the September 11 attacks, located in the Villetta Romano.
Statues of the seasons, in white marble. Originally placed inside the Villa Garibaldi, now disappeared, they are now located inside the Villa del Sole.
Garden of Empedocles. It is a sculptural group made entirely of bronze and characterized by four sculptures representing, respectively, air, water, fire and earth, that is the elements of the philosophy of the Akragantine philosopher Empedocles. The works of art are located in the garden of the San Nicola Archaeological Museum.
"Bust of Venus" inside the garden of the San Nicola Archaeological Museum.
"Evadne", a work in lava stone located in the Sciascia Contrino climb. It is a work of art that represents the myth of Evadne, daughter of Poseidon and seduced by Apollo narrated by Pindar.
Sleeping Lion, in Piazza Purgatorio. It represents the monumental entrance to the hypogeum of Purgatory. It consists of a white marble lion, represented in a sleeping position, placed on top of two columns in neoclassical style.
"The thought of Empedocles". These are two sculptural groups located in the Lena and San Giuseppe squares that narrate the key points of the Empedoclea philosophy.
Cross placed in memory of the visit of Pope John Paul II, in the San Gregorio plain.
Fallen Icarus bronze statue, located at the foot of the Temple of Concord, on the Via Sacra.
The Amazon, in bronze on a marble base in Piazza Stazione.
Stele by Pertini, located in the villa dedicated to him.
Statue of the Madonna in the Marina.
Statue of the Angel of the Valley, in Hardcastle Square.
Monuments of contemporary art, in the Villa Pertini.
"The origin of life", a contemporary work of art in Piazza Plebis Rea.
Statue of San Gerlando, in piazzetta Alajmo, in a niche created on the façade of one of the buildings facing the square.
"Statue of San Calogero, in Piazzetta San Calogero, located inside the niche on the façade of the Sanctuary dedicated to the Saint.
"Statue of the Madonna and Child", located in the niche located on the north side of the bell tower of the Basilica of San Francesco.

"Statue of San Francesco", located in the niche of the facade of the Basilica of San Francesco.
"Statue of the Madonna" placed in the niche obtained on the façade of the Church of the Badiola.
Bust Garibaldi, in the Gardens of Porta di Ponte, in white marble.
Roman bust, in the Gardens of Porta di Ponte, in bronze.
Bust of Nicolò Gallo, in the Gardens of Porta di Ponte, in bronze.
Bust Luigi Pirandello, once placed in the Villa del Sole, then moved, on the occasion of the celebrations in honor of the 150th anniversary of the author's birth, in the homonymous square. The sculpture, the work of the artist Tumminello, is in bronze.
Bust Luigi Pirandello, in his birthplace, in bronze.
Bust Alexander Hardcastle, in the garden of Villa Aurea, in bronze.
Bust Don Guanella, in Piazza Don Guanella, in bronze.
Bust of Mons. Celona, ​​in Largo Celona, ​​in white marble.

Fountains
Fontana Gebbia, in the archaeological park.
Bonamorone historical fountain. It is located in the Bonamorone district. It has a marble arch on the main side while a large basin extends to the sides.
Fountain for the Fallen dedicated to the fallen of the Great War. It is located at the main entrance of the Villa Bonfiglio. The fountain has a circular shape and, in the center, has a large marble obelisk at the top of which is a large bronze angel depicting the victory of the country. On the base of the obelisk there are, in each of the four facades, the names of the soldiers who died during the great war. On the second level of the base, two scenes are depicted: the first represents a peasant driving a plow pulled by oxen; the second instead reports an Italian soldier who stabs an Austrian soldier.
Fountain of the Giants bearing the coat of arms of the city, located in the Villa Casesa (Giardini di Porta di Ponte). The fountain is in marble and is circular in shape and has three levels whose width degrades in height. On the highest level there is a sculptural representation representing a putto holding a dragon that spits water.
Fountain of the Dragons, located in Piazza Don Guanella. It has a large octagonal shaped basin, while in the center there are representations of dragons from whose apex a jet of water flows.
Fountain of the Station, in rationalist style located in the gardens of the station of Piazza Marconi. The fountain is circular in shape and has two levels.
Fountain of the garden of the Convent of San Vito, in three levels, located in the external garden of the former convent.
Fontana Grande Villa of the sun. Located in the Villa, it is a large pool with artificial waterfalls. It is characterized by the presence of two white marble statues representing the seasons.
Fountain Little Villa of the sun. Rectangular in shape, it bears the ceramic coat of arms of the city.
Fonte Villa del sole, composed of a bas-relief.
Villa Pertini Fountain. It has a base made of stone.
Fountain of the well, in the ascent Madonna degli angeli. It has the shapes of an ancient artesian well.

Squares
Piazza Cavour, on the Viale della Vittoria. In ancient times it was possible to admire in the square an imposing statue dedicated to Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour. Today the square has an elegant pavement and is an ideal meeting point for citizens of any age and for children who can play there. On the sides of the square there are two art nouveau buildings of exquisite workmanship that give the square as a whole an elegant and refined appearance.
Piazza Marconi, formerly Piazzale Roma and also known as Piazza Stazione. It is one of the most important squares in Agrigento not only because it is geographically located in the center of the city, but also because there are some important buildings. Beyond the Central Station, inside which there is a rationalist-style fountain and a bronze monument, it is possible to admire the Palazzo della Banca d'Italia and, finally, the ancient Palazzo del Genio Civile, on whose side elevation there is votive shrine bounded by two columns. Furthermore, at the top it is possible to see the Church of San Pietro.
Vittorio Emanuele square. The square houses the Palazzo delle Poste, the Palazzo della Questura, the Palazzo della Provincia and Prefettura, the Palazzo Balilla, the New Palazzo del Genio Civile.
Piazzale Aldo Moro on which stand the headquarters of the Banco di Sicilia, the Biagio Pistone Carabinieri barracks, the municipal library and the sanctuary of San Calogero. The square is elegantly adorned by the four Giardini degli Sgherri.

Piazzetta Vadalà, located in piazzale Aldo Moro, where the imposing statue of the Akragantine philosopher Empedocle stands out.
Piazzetta San Pietro, where the homonymous Baroque style church is located. At the center of the square, which overlooks the Valley of the Temples, there is a flowerbed with geometric figures made of tuff. Today the square is dedicated to the founder of opus dei, J. M. Escrivá, as mentioned it is a marble plaque. Furthermore, the youth house of Luigi Pirandello overlooks it, where a marble plaque has been placed in memory.
Piazza San Francesco, important because it leads to both the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (or Church of San Francesco), on whose main façade stands the marble statue dedicated to the patron saint of Italy, and to the Convent of the Franciscan Minor Friars, which today it hosts the so-called Chiaramontane factories. On the side façade of the church it is possible to see a bronze plaque commemorating the victims of a bombing that took place during the Second World War and in which numerous people from Agrigento who sought refuge in the shelters of the church lost their lives. In the adjoining staircase there is instead a sculpture dedicated to the way of Evadne, narrated by the Greek poet Pindar.
Piazza San Lorenzo, also called del Purgatorio. In it there is the monumental entrance to one of the most important and longest hypogea of ​​ancient Akragas. In fact, the hypogeum is accessed through a portal consisting of two columns surmounted by a sleeping white lion. In the square stands one of the most beautiful, ancient and sumptuous churches of Agrigento, the Baroque Church of San Lorenzo, which makes the square extremely suggestive, thanks also to the adjacent Church of Santa Rosalia, also in Baroque style. In the façade of the Church of San Lorenzo you can see two marble plaques that recall the revolutionary movements of the Italian people and the martyrs who died in the name of the flag. Furthermore, from the square it is possible to see a marble election poster, set on the façade of a building, which bears an invitation to vote for the republic, with the symbol of the republican party, on the occasion of the referendum for the abrogation of the monarchy.
Piazza Gallo, where there are the Palazzo del Circolo dei Nobili, the Palazzo dell'Orologio, the Palazzo del Comando della Guardia di Finanza, the Palazzo degli ex Tribunali.
Piazzetta Lena, in which there is a hotel. Once the seat of the vucciria, the ancient fish market, today the square is a pedestrian island and inside it some sculptures have been placed which, in a single common thread with piazza san Giuseppe, take up the essential lines of Empedocle's philosophy. especially love and kaos. In it stands the Palazzo where today a hotel and other buildings of considerable artistic value are located.
Piazzetta Cacciatore, where there is the Alajmo house, with a brass commemorative plaque, and there are also some votive shrines on the facades of the buildings. A statue dedicated to the Patron Saint Gerlando has been placed inside a niche created on the façade of the building which once housed a well-known credit institution. From the square you enter the via neve, known as via degli artists, where today the poet Linder is remembered with a plaque at the entrance to the square.
Piazza San Giuseppe, in which stands the homonymous Baroque style church and overlooks the Circolo Empedocleo, with the unmistakable neoclassical style and the bas-relief depicting Empedocle. In 2015 the square was the subject of an impressive restoration and redevelopment project, thanks to which it was made a pedestrian area. In it has been placed an artistic work that symbolizes the four elements of Empedocles' philosophy.

Piazza Pirandello, the most important square in Agrigento. It is in fact the square dedicated to the most illustrious character of the city, the Nobel Prize for literature Luigi Pirandello on the occasion of the centenary of his birth. In it there are the Palazzo dei Giganti, today the seat of the municipality and once a convent of the Dominican fathers, the Church of San Domenico, the Palazzo dei Montaperto, the Collegio dei Padri Filippini and the Palazzo (former convent of the Augustinians) natural seat of the civic museum . From it you can access, through the entrance of the Palazzo dei Giganti, the Luigi Pirandello Theater. On the façade of the Palazzo dei Giganti you can see, covered by vines, commemorative marble plaques dedicated to the fallen of Dogali in 1887 and the revolutionary uprisings of 1848, and one that celebrates the centenary of the birth of Luigi Pirandello. On the façade of the Palazzo dei Montaperto there is a marble plaque dedicated to Pope Leo XIII. The square constitutes the natural and only access to the cloister of the Palazzo dei Giganti, where the facade of the Pirandello Theater is located. In the cloister, there are two marble plaques that retrace the stages of construction and renaming of the theater and a bronze plaque depicting the famous Porta Dante Alighieri with the Pirandello pine in the background.
Piazza Sinatra, where the Gaetani Palace, the Convent of the Augustinian Fathers, seat of the Civic Museum, the Palace of the National Financiers Association and the Palace where the Efebo d'Oro cinema culture and entertainment library is located. on its façade a marble plaque commemorates the centenary of the birth of Sinatra.
Piazza Duomo, which overlooks the staircase of the main entrance to the Duomo and, in front of it, the imposing architectural complex of the Archbishop's Seminary, formerly Palazzo Steri. On the south side of the square, it is possible to see a votive shrine dedicated to the Immaculate Virgin.
Piazza San Giacomo, where the church of San Giacomo and the complex of the former military district stand.
Piazza Ravanusella, in which stands the baroque church of the Assunta, improperly known as Santa Lucia and, a few steps from it, the Porta Panitteri.
Piazza Diodoro Siculo, where the I.N.C.I.S. and a statue dedicated to Padre Pio.
Plebis Rea Square. The square takes its name from the ancient Arab door, the door of the winds. It was the highest access to the Arab-Norman citadel. Even today it is possible to see the remains of the ancient medieval walls. The square also houses a bronze monument dedicated to San Giovanni Bosco and a monument of contemporary art called the origin of life.
Piazza Don Guanella, in which there is the Fountain of the Dragons, a half bust dedicated to Don Guanella and a statue dedicated to Padre Pio.
Piazza Antonio Fosso, grenadier of the First World War.

Gates

Bridge gate. It was built in 1868, on a project by Raffaello Politi, on the ruins of the previous gate with a drawbridge dating back to the fourteenth century and of Saracen origin. The monument is built in neoclassical style and has the current coat of arms of the city on one side, and the coat of arms of the Greek city on the other. The Porta di Ponte is the monumental entrance to Via Atenea, known as the living room of the city, and home to numerous businesses, shops, boutiques and elegant restaurants, as well as some monuments of the city.
Porta Panitteri. It was rebuilt in the 11th century not far from the original, destroyed for the completion of the works relating to the Central Station. It consists of a Gothic-style arch and next to it, on a part of the ancient city walls, there is a sacred shrine dedicated to the Madonna del Lume. The door is located in Via Empedocle, a few hundred meters from the Central Station.
Door of the Saccajoli. It was built in the 16th century with a Gothic arch and a sacred shrine dedicated to the Madonna del Porto Salvo and later to Santa Lucia was placed inside. Today it appears partially underground, but still visible and reachable.
Sea Gate. The gate is now buried but still visible and was built in the 15th century.

Viaducts
In the valley of the Temples there is the Akragas viaduct which connects the hamlets of Villaseta and Monserrato.

Commemorative tombstones
Agrigento is full of tombstones and commemorative plaques dedicated to illustrious personalities or significant historical events. Most of them are in marble and can be admired on the facades of noble palaces, churches or squares. Others are in bronze. Among them the main ones are:

Michele Foderà, in marble placed on the façade of the birthplace, in via Atenea
Giuseppe Lauricella, in marble placed on the façade of the birthplace, in via Atenea
Luigi Pirandello, in marble placed on the façade of the house of his childhood, in the homonymous street
Luigi Pirandello, in marble placed on the façade of the Palazzo dei Giganti in the homonymous square
Pope Leo XIII, in marble placed on the façade of Palazzo Montaperto, in Piazza Pirandello
J. Wolfgang Goethe, in bronze placed on the façade of Palazzo Celauro, where it was housed, in via Celauro
Dante Alighieri, in bronze placed in the external atrium of the Pirandello theater, in Piazza Pirandello
Sinatra, in marble placed on the façade of a building in the homonymous square
Giuseppe Picone, in marble, located in via Picone
Josemaria Escrivà, in marble, located in Piazza Escrivà
Saragat, located on the façade of the Circolo dei Nobili in piazza Gallo
Tommaso Gallo Afflitto, in marble, located on the façade of the Guardia di Finanza barracks in Piazza San Giacomo
Sciascia and Contino, in bronze, placed on the façade of the basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Pope John Paul II, in marble, located in via Imera

Theaters
Luigi Pirandello Theater, Agrigento's municipal theater. The majestic theater is accessed through the cloister of the Palazzo dei Giganti. Already named after Queen Margherita, it was built in 1870 and inaugurated in 1881. The current dedication to Luigi Pirandello was decided to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Nobel Prize's death. One of the most significant decorations of the theater was certainly the curtain, representing the valiant Akragantine athlete Esseneto who returns victorious from Elea and painted by the Messina painter Luigi Queriau. The work was lost or destroyed during the long period of closure. In 2007, the producer Francesco Bellomo from Agrigento donated a new curtain, made with the same techniques of the time, which reproduces the original fresco. The ceiling and the front of the boxes are instead the result of the precious and refined work of the three Milanese artists Giuseppe Sacco, Giovanni Belloni and Antonio Tavella, who elegantly decorated the interior of the theater. The design of the work is due to Dionisio Sciascia from Agrigento with the notable and prestigious contribution of Giambattista Basile. In the foyer of the theater are exhibited the bust of Zeus, formerly placed in the Villa Garibaldi, the bust dedicated to Luigi Filippo, that of Luigi Pirandello and numerous plaques, including those testifying the decision of the Agrigento senate to build the theater and to name it to Queen Margherita. Other plaques recall the dedication of the foyer to the actor Montalbano from Agrigento, the reopening of the theater in the presence of Oscar Luigi Scalfaro and the return of the ancient curtain La Vittoria di Esseneto.

Old Post Theater. The small theater is located in the buildings that, in the second half of the nineteenth century. they were leased by the Marquis Giambertoni to the Royal Post and Telegraphs.
Theater of the Valley of the Temples located in the heart of the Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples in a suggestive context.
Palacongressi located in the hamlet of Villaggio Mosè.

 

Natural areas
Villa Bonfiglio, in the heart of Viale della Vittoria. It is the largest villa in the city, including green spaces, health and athletic courses and an ice rink. At the main entrance of the villa stands the imposing monument dedicated to the fallen of the Great War. The monument has a large circular fountain, with an obelisk in the center at the top of which there is an angel. The base of the obelisk is cubic and presents two different sculptural representations: the first depicts an episode of rural life, with a farmer driving his oxen and the plow; the other instead depicts a war episode, in which an Italian soldier kills a Habsburg soldier with the butt of a rifle. In the cubic base of the obelisk the names of the soldiers who fell at the front are engraved.
Villa del Sole, the second largest town villa. At the main entrance of the villa it is possible to admire a fountain with statues depicting the seasons. Inside there are two other fountains, one composed of a bas-relief from which water flows, the other from a rectangular-shaped basin bearing the coat of arms of the city. In the highest part of the villa, a massive half-bust dedicated to Luigi Pirandello was placed, which was then moved to the homonymous square. In the villa there are also cages designed to accommodate various species of animals and a multipurpose field. Along the path of the villa there are commemorative ceramics of works by Pirandello.
Belvedere Antonio and Pietro Arancio, on Viale della Vittoria.
Villa Lizi, located between the end of Viale della Vittoria and Via Giovanni XXIII.
Belvedere Natale D'Agostino, in via Empedocle.
Villa Pertini, located in San Leone. In it you can admire a fountain, a stele dedicated to the President of the Republic Sandro Pertini and a contemporary art sculpture.
Four villas in Porta di Ponte (known as the Sgherri villas). They are located in piazzale Aldo Moro and constitute a precious ornament of the city center. The first of the villas is dedicated to Rosetta Romano, and is characterized by the presence of two half busts: the first dedicated to the memory of the Roman; the second to Giuseppe Garibaldi. The latter half-length, however, is the same one that once stood inside the vast and monumental Villa Garibaldi. Inside one of the flower beds, next to a pomegranate tree, a marble stone was placed in memory of the 2001 Twin Towers massacre. Sir A. Hardcastle in order to make it visible to the citizens. Finally, in the center there is a monument in memory of the victims of the September 11 massacres. The second villa is dedicated instead to Casesa and, inside, it is possible to admire a wonderful fountain in Baroque style which also has the coat of arms of the city. The name of Casesa, politician and administrator of the city for some decades, can be read on a marble plaque placed right at the entrance to the garden. The third villa offers a welcome sign, made with sandstone and floral compositions, and the half-length of Nicolò Gallo. Finally, the fourth villa has low and elegant perimeter walls decorated with ornamental vases, while in the center there is a fountain and flower boxes. Each of the villas is also characterized by the presence of four kiosks (one in each house) in Art Nouveau style, which give an elegant and refined appearance to the entire area.
Villetta Ettore Majorana, located a few steps from the Bonamorone fountain.
Addolorata Park. It is a large green area, built on the ancient neighborhood of Addolorata which was razed to the ground by the landslide of 1966. Inside there are several areas such as, for example, two skating rinks, an amphitheater, and a pyramid-shaped structure. .
Rupe Atenea Natural Area and Archeology.
Valley of the Temples Archaeological Park.
Garden of the kolimbetra.
Falcone-Borsellino seafront.
Coast of San Leone.
Lido Chaos.
Punta Bianca.
Bosco contrada Maddalusa.
Luigi Pirandello Literary Park.
Botanical garden, which also houses some botanical finds from the Empedocle natural history museum.
Goethe's garden.

 

Physical geography
Territory
"I have never seen in all my life a splendor of spring like this morning at sunrise ... From the window we see the vast and gentle slope of the ancient city all in gardens and vineyards, under the thick green you can hardly guess any trace of the great populous districts of the city of yore. Only at the southern end of this verdant and flowery slope rises the temple of Concordia, to the east the few remains of the Temple of Juno; but from above the eye does not see the ruins of other temples ... instead it runs south towards the sea. "

Climate
The climate is mild in winter, when, together with autumn, approximately all the annual rainfall is concentrated, in summer it is scorching hot. On the basis of the thirty-year average of reference 1961-1990, the average temperature of the coldest month, January, is +11.0 ° C; that of the hottest month, August, is +28.5 ° C.

Origin of the name
In its millenary history the city has had four names: Ἀκράγας for the Greeks, Agrigentum for the Romans, Kerkent or Gergent for the Arabs; for the Normans it was Girgenti, the city's official name until 1927, when, during the Fascist period, an Italianization of the name that the city had during the Roman domination was used. Agrigento assumed its current name with royal decree-law n.1143 of 16 June 1927.


History
The city was founded in 581 BC. by some inhabitants of Gela, originally from the islands of Rhodes and Crete, with the name of Akragas, from the homonymous river that bathes the city. The Greek domination lasted about 370 years, during which the city of Akragas acquired great power and splendor, so much so as to be nicknamed by Pindar "the most beautiful city of mortals", as evidenced by the wonderful Valley of the Temples and the Hellenistic-Roman Quarter. Initially the tyranny of Falaride (570-554 BC) was established which was characterized by a policy of expansion towards the interior, the fortification of the walls and the embellishment of the city. However Phalaris was best known for his cruelty and ruthlessness and for the use of the bronze bull as an instrument of torture for sacrificial victims. The condemned man was placed inside and the fire continually heated the bull until he was burned to death. During the agony, the victim emitted moans which, like lowing, issued from the bull's mouth. Its creator, Perillo, was the first to experience its effects. Hated by the people, Phalaris died by stoning and, since he loved to dress in blue, the clothes of that color were forbidden. The maximum development was reached with Terone (488-471 BC). During his tyranny the city had between 100,000 and 200,000 inhabitants and its territory expanded to the northern coasts of Sicily. Having become a great military power, Akragas managed to defeat Carthage more than once in the war for control of the Sicilian Channel. After the death of Theron a democratic regime began (471-406 BC) established by the philosopher Empedocles, who refused the power offered him by the people themselves. It is in this period that we witness the construction of numerous temples and a great economic prosperity but, in 406 BC, the Carthaginians, led by Hannibal, invaded the city destroying it almost completely. In 339 BC, thanks to the Corinthian Timoleonte, the city, subject to the influence of Syracuse, was rebuilt and repopulated. In 210 BC, with the Second Punic War the city passed under the control of the Roman Empire with the Latinized name of Agrigentum.