| Valley of the Temples | |
.jpg/250px-Valle_dei_Templi_(9528019415).jpg) | |
| State | Italy |
|---|---|
| Region | Sicily |
| Territory | From Agrigento |
| Surface | 1,300 ha |
| Institutional website | |
There Valley of the Temples is the archaeological area of the city of Agrigento in Sicily, declared by UNESCO World Heritage. It is the only privately managed archaeological park in Sicily, in fact even the standards of services and the quality of visits are clearly superior to other sites in the region.
To know
Geographical notes
The Valley of the Temples rises below modern Agrigento. Although it is commonly called the valley, all the monuments stand on a plateau that dominates the rest of the valley that slopes down to the sea. The valley of the temples is closed to the east by the 
, while it is cut in two by the 
. To the west, the Kolimbetra garden is partially cut by the railway that separates the temple of Hephaestus.
When to go
| Climate | gen | Feb | mar | apr | mag | down | Jul | needle | set | Oct | nov | dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum (° C) | 14,0 | 14,5 | 16,4 | 18,9 | 23,6 | 28,2 | 30,9 | 33,9 | 29,5 | 23,5 | 19,3 | 15,8 |
| Minimum (° C) | 8,0 | 8,0 | 9,1 | 11,2 | 14,8 | 19,2 | 21,8 | 22,1 | 19,8 | 16,1 | 12,6 | 9,7 |
The whole year is valid for visiting the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. Some difficulties can be had in the central summer months, July and August, due to the high temperatures in the hottest hours that put in difficulty the unaccustomed tourist given the vastness of the site, the duration of the visit and the little shade available. In this period it can reach 40 ° C and more, for this reason it is useful to take advantage of the extension of the visiting hours even at night.
The best period goes from the end of February to the beginning of June, when the nature of the surrounding countryside gives its best as colors and scents, making a visit to this corner of Sicily special. Excellent September and October, still warm and bright.
How to get
Valley of the Temples: full screen map.The Valley of the Temples is none other than the monumental part of the ancient Akragas (the ancient Agrigento), so it is only 3000 meters from the exact center of the new city. For this reason, to reach the Valley of the Temples the same solutions valid for Agrigento.
By plane
The two airports best connected to Agrigento and its Valley of the Temples are Palermo and Trapani. More distant but with greater continental connections is Catania. Shuttle bus services connect Agrigento with these airports:
- 1 Trapani-Birgi airport (Vincenzo Florio Airport), contrada Birgi, Trapani (It is 156 km from Agrigento. From the airport follow the SS115 towards Agrigento (eastbound)), ☎ 390923610111, @[email protected]. National and European flights, scheduled e low cost.
- 2 Palermo-Punta Raisi Airport (Falcone and Borsellino Airport) (Agrigento is 178 km away. From the airport take the A29 towards Mazzara del Vallo, exit at Castelvetrano take the SS115 to Agrigento.), ☎ 39 0917020273. National and international flights, too low cost.
- 3 Catania airport (Fontanarossa Airport) (165 km from Agrigento take the A19 and exit at Caltanissetta take the SS640 state road to Agrigento), ☎ 39 0957239111. National, international and hub flights low cost and charter flights.
By car
The directions to reach are valid Agrigento. The Valley of the Temples is located south of the town of Agrigento, between it and the sea. To get there, you can take the via Dante exit on the Agrigento ring road 
and then continue along via Petrarca, or get there from the east and also from the south on the following the signs and ending in viale Giuseppe La Loggia. For parking it is strictly recommended to use the parking lots near the ticket offices, outside of them, on the avenues of access to the park, the surveillance of the traffic police is very careful and the fines are insured.
- 4 Parking door V, Viale Caduti di Marzabotto. Automatic parking at the park ticket office.
- 5 East parking, panoramic route Valley of the temples.
On the train
The directions to reach are valid Agrigento which has two stations: 6 Agrigento Central Station in the center and 7 Agrigento Bassa station just over a kilometer from the center but about 5 kilometers from the temples. Both are managed by RFI and connected with both Palermo that with Catania, travel times are still long, check the timetables well.
For the Valley of the Temples it is important to point out that on holidays there is a tourist service connecting Palermo, Agrigento Bassa and Porto Empedocle which includes a stop at the station 8 Vulcano Temple Stationinside the Valley of the Temples. This travel option can be booked at Kaos railways.
By bus
From Agrigento it is possible to take the company's urban bus YOUR. There are two lines that reach the Valley of the Temples la Line 1 and the Line 2.
There is also a tourist service called Temple bus tour which performs the following timetables and stops.
Permits / Rates
The cost of the full ticket ordinary is € 10, with reductions € 5. During the period of August, night visits are scheduled until midnight.
- Combined ticket 1: Park Valley of the Temples Garden of Kolymbethra and Temple of Vulcano (can be purchased at the ticket offices of the Park). Cumulative integer: € 15, cumulative reduced: € 10.
- Combined ticket 2: Valle dei Templi Park Archaeological Museum. Cumulative integer: € 13,50, cumulative reduced: € 7.
The cost of the park's audio guides is € 3 each, to be added to the cost of the ticket.
How to get around
The visit to the site is on foot, however there is a service bus called shuttle bus which makes several stops (parking lot V porta, temple of Hercules, temple of Concordia, Arcosolio coffee, temple of Juno and back) the cost of the ticket is 3 €. The stops are indicated by special signs.
- 9 West entrance This entrance overlooks the main road which also leads to the Archaeological Museum and the Roman quarter.
- 10 V door entry It is the main entrance to the park. You can access it by leaving the car park and passing via the underpass Viale Caduti di Marzabotto.
What see
The visit itinerary starts from the Archaeological Walk, which cuts the park in two on the eastern and western sides.
Eastern side
- 1 Temple of Heracles (Temple of Hercules). This is the first temple you come across while walking along the eastern part of the park. Following the ancient sources it has been attributed to the cult of Heracles. It is one of the oldest in Agrigento because it dates back to the 6th century BC. and in the Doric style. During the 20th century the columns were re-erected wherever possible.
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2 Temple of Concord. This is one of the most famous temples in Agrigento, it was built in 430 BC. in Doric style. It is one of the best preserved temples of antiquity where it displays all its characteristics, such as the presence of the inner cell and the colonnade. In the sixth century BC it was transformed into a church and for this reason the direction of the entrance to the west was reversed, which led to visible changes to the cell.
- Not far from the temple there is the sculpture of Igor Mitoraj11 Fallen Icarus.
- 3 Temple of Juno (Temple of Hera Lacinea). This is the easternmost temple in the Valley of the Temples, it dates back to 450 BC. and was built in the Doric style. After a fire in 406 BC it was renovated by the Romans with the original tiles replaced with marble tiles. But in the third century BC the Roman consul Quinto Fulvio Flacco stripped the temple of marble. Today part of the columns remain standing.
Western side
- 4 Temple of Jupiter (Temple of Olympian Zeus). This imposing temple was built after the victory of the Agrigento in Himera against the Carthaginians in 480-479 BC. The temple was one of the largest of antiquity, 112.70 x 56.30 m. The ruins currently visible are determined by the earthquake of 1401 which destroyed what was left standing, but previously some material had been removed over the centuries. Today we know from the reconstructions that between the columns there were colossal telamons (ornamental statues that served as support for the roof), a copy of which is lying on the ground near the temple, while the original is in the Archaeological Museum of Agrigento.
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- 5 Sacrificial altar (Macaw of the temple of Zeus). Sacrificial altar of the temple of Jupiter. In this place bull sacrifices were performed in honor of the god. To this day, the stone blocks remain to recall the original shape.
- 6 Temple of the Dioscuri.
- 7 Kolymbethra Garden, ☎ 39 3351229042, fax: 39 0922 416787, @[email protected].
Adults € 6, children € 2. 
Feb, Nov, Dec, 10: 00-14: 00, Tue, Apr, Oct 9: 30-17: 30, May, Jun, Sep 9: 30-18: 30, Jul-Aug 9: 30-19: 30. Historically this area was a garden as well as a holiday resort in Greek times. Then the area was also transformed due to the presence of tanks for the collection of water. At the end of the twentieth century the area was in the grip of neglect, but thanks to an agreement between the Italian Environment Fund and the Sicily Region, the FAI that manages it has brought it back to life, enhancing it and making it usable. Inside there are several tree species such as almond, orange, olive and Mediterranean scrub. In addition, the visit allows access to the temple of Hephaestus and some underground rooms.
Adults € 6, children € 2. 
Feb, Nov, Dec, 10: 00-14: 00, Tue, Apr, Oct 9: 30-17: 30, May, Jun, Sep 9: 30-18: 30, Jul-Aug 9: 30-19: 30. Historically this area was a garden as well as a holiday resort in Greek times. Then the area was also transformed due to the presence of tanks for the collection of water. At the end of the twentieth century the area was in the grip of neglect, but thanks to an agreement between the Italian Environment Fund and the Sicily Region, the FAI that manages it has brought it back to life, enhancing it and making it usable. Inside there are several tree species such as almond, orange, olive and Mediterranean scrub. In addition, the visit allows access to the temple of Hephaestus and some underground rooms.- Additional visits to the underground paths are also planned every Saturday, Sunday and holidays (Easter Monday, April 25, May 1, June 2) with 4 shifts a day: at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00 .
- 8 Temple of Hephaestus. It is a Doric temple from the 5th century BC. located in the westernmost part of the Valley of the Temples. The temple is in ruins but its features are still legible.
- 9 V door entry. It is one of the gateways to the city. It is accessed by entering from the entrance to the park of the fifth door. The collapsed side walls are clearly visible.
Other monuments
_-_n._0355_-_Girgenti_-_Tomba_di_Terone.jpg/150px-Crupi,_Giovanni_(1849-1925)_-_n._0355_-_Girgenti_-_Tomba_di_Terone.jpg)
- 10 Tomb of Theron, via Giuseppe La Loggia (Accessible only from the road through an opening.). This monument has long been believed to be the tomb of the tyrant Terone from Agrigento who lived in the 5th century BC. However it is a Hellenistic Roman monument of the III-II century BC.
- 11 Temple of Aesculapius.
What to do
In the garden it is possible to have picnics.
- Guided tour of the Kolimbetra garden. 50€. Guided tour in Italian and in a foreign language (English, French, German and Spanish)
- Temple bus tour, ☎ 393318313720, 393318314196. Performs various open bus tours, from Agrigento to the Valley of the Temples and surroundings.
- Guided tours of the Valley of the Temples, ☎ 39 3770872496. Guided group tours, private, at sunset, evening and night.
Shopping
There are several souvenir shops and bookshops at the car park and ticket office.
Where to eat
The structures considered are not far from the park, while for others you can see the entry Agrigento.
Inside the Archaeological Park
- 1 Arcosoli Cafeteria (between the temple of Concordia and that of Juno). As a café inside the park, prices are obviously higher. There is also a toilet.
Around
- 2 Il Re Di Girgenti Restaurant, Via Panoramica dei Templi 51, ☎ 39 0922401388, @[email protected]. 12: 30-15: 00 and 19: 30-23: 00.
- 3 Trattoria dei Templi, Via Panoramica Valley of the Temples 15 (at the Valley of the Temples), ☎ 39 0922403110, @[email protected]. Mediterranean cuisine
- 4 Passo dei Briganti farmhouse, Via per Fondacazzo, Villaseta (From the Valley of the Temples head south-west at the first exit (Spinasanta) take the road to Fondacazzo (SP 01A)), ☎ 39 3931241080, @[email protected]. € 20 fixed menu (October 2015). Ancient farmhouse from the 19th century, renovated and surrounded by 7 hectares of strictly organic cultivated land of olive trees, citrus fruits, orchards.
Where stay
Safety
Suitable footwear is recommended given the unpaved terrain. In the warmer months, bring water supplies, considering the temperatures and the consequent prices for the bottles of water.
Avoiding visits during the hottest summer hours, the presence of high temperatures and few shaded spaces can create many problems for those who suffer from low blood pressure.
How to keep in touch
- Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento (Valley of the Temples Park), Casa Sanfilippo, Panoramic road of the Temples, ☎ 39 0922621611, fax: 39 092226438, @[email protected].
Around
In addition to the obvious ride to Agrigento we recommend going to:
- Heraclea Minoa
- Torre Salsa oriented nature reserve
- Scale of the Turks
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Valley of the Temples
Commons contains images or other files on Valley of the Temples
Wikiquote contains quotes from or about Valley of the Temples
