A UNESCO world heritage site, Valle di Templi is definitely one of the most important archeological sites in the world. Agrigento's amazing Valley of the Temples is found on a long rocky path and has ancient temples of mythology. These temples are built for Juno, Lacinia, Concordia, Hercules, Jupiter, Castor, Dioscuri, Vulcan and Eusculapius, the god of medicine. The river was used for trade and commerce in ancient times with its mouth acting as the harbour.

The ancient city was built by the Greek colonists from Gela (Caltanissetta) in the 6th century BC and soon became a thriving city. The city was attacked by the Carthaginians in 406 BC, followed by the transfer of power to the Roman in the 3rd century BC.

The ancient Greek town was the center for culture and home to Empedocles (490-430 BC), responsible for the division of the elements into earth, fire, air and water. The city also attracted renowned poets like Simonides and Pindar and later during the Roman rule by Cicero. It is also the home town of the great Nobel Prize winning playwright Luigi Pirandello.

Right from the beginning of the city’s development a lot of attention has been paid to carefully covering it in beautiful flowers and lush greenery. It has been the birth place of many important works of art and literature with many poets, writers and painters, including Ariosto, Goethe, Guy de Maupassant, Dumas, Anatole France, Murilo Mendes, Lawrence Durrell, E.M.Forster, Francesco Lojacono, Nicolas de Stael, Salvatore Quasimodo, coming here.

Situated on top of a hill, the modern section of Agrigento was rebuilt after heavy bombing during World War II. Visit Agrigento to revive the past, the ancient glory of this beautiful region. Its majestic ruins will sweep you off you feet. The centro storico is the modern hub with lots of shopping opportunities or you can just sit in one of the many cafes and watch passersby. The other big attraction is the beach in San Leone where you can find respite in the cold sparkling waters.

Visitor Information

There are two tourist information offices here. One of them is on Via Cesare Battisti 15 and the other on Via Empedocle 73. Both work between 8am and 2pm Monday to Friday.

Travel Information

By Train
Agrigento’s railway station is called the Stazione Centrale and is located on Piazza Marconi. Trains from Palermo and Ragusa come to here everyday.

By Bus
Alternately you can take a bus (run by Interbus) from Palermo or Syracuse.

By Car
If you’re coming from Palermo take the S121, S188 and S189 respectively. From Syracuse take the SS115 coming through Gela to reach Agrigento.

Special Events

There is a weeklong play, opera and ballet festival in Piazza Kaos between July and August. This is called the Settimana Pirandelliana. For more information on tickets and schedule, contact the tourist office.