A Guide to Agrigento

The city is located on the south facing coast of Sicily and is famous for its ancient Greek ruins that lie at Akragus on the outskirts of the city. Agrigento sits on a hilly coast line and is only a short distance from Sicily’s major cities. The town was founded as long ago as 581 BC when Greeks arrived in Sicily.

It was described as ‘the most beautiful city inhabited by mortals’ by the Greek poet Pindaro. What remains today of this truly ancient city is ‘The Valley of the Temples’, a collection of religious buildings that demonstrated the wealth of the antique civilization. Today the city is largely dominated by modern architecture today but its heart is still an attractive medieval one.

The economy relies on its agriculture with its citrus orchards and olive groves. However the city is renowned for the cultivation almonds, indeed so much that it earned the nickname ‘The Almond in Flower’. As well as the Greek temples, other sites include the Agrigento Cathedral, the Church of St Nicola, the Archeological Museum, the Monastery of St Spirito, the Church of Purgatorio, the Church of St Maria dei Greci, and the Art Museum.