Agrigentum and the Valley of the Temples

Inland Sicily

Monte San Angelo. It took the Moors 20 years to conquer this spot.

Inland village below a crag

Dry, inland Sicily

Necropolis, Valley of the Temples

Temple of Juno

Paul and Concordat Temple (Apollo?)


Struck off inland on SS121 to Agrigentum and the Valley of the Temples on the south coast of Sicily. For a change, the road was decent, if twisty, a two-laner reminiscent of the old Hwy 17 to Ottawa. Struggling through side roads, construction detours, downtown Agrigentum and what looked suspiciously like a garbage dump, we eventually arrived at the “valley” of the temples which is perched on top of a ridge between modern Agrigentum and the sea.

Another 2400 year old Greek settlement, only the magnificent temples survive. And a Necropolis, hewn out of solid rock. A hot (31C) day, so lunch in the shade where, though I didn’t have the Greek salad on offer, I sat and tried to imagine life as it was back then in this outpost of Magna Graecia.

Home through the sere hinterlands, virtually barren of farms, to a welcome, cold Birra Moretti on the terrace.