2008-07-25
2009-03-29
The first stop this morning is to Agrigento town to admire the fascinating and famous Valley of the Temples. Agrigento was founded as Akragas around 582 BC by a group of colonists from Gela. In the historical center of the city, the Romanesque Gothic Cathedral, built during the 14th Century, still displays some of its medieval character, as does the 13th Century Church of San Nicola. In the Valley of the Temples - which UNESCO included in the list of the World's Heritage - are the ruins of numerous temples but also necropolis, houses, streets and many other remnants of an ancient city. The Temple of Concord, built around 440 BC, which is still in good condition, and is illuminated at night, is a sight to behold. A number of telamons (large segmented stone columns in the form of human figures) have been preserved.Then you reach Sciacca less than an hour's drive west from Agrigento. Sciacca is a picturesque seaside town built on rocky hills that overlook the splendid beaches and the Mediterranean Sea midway between Marsala and Agrigento. It has several interesting churches and monuments but it is best known for its numerous artisan ceramics shops, thermal baths and beautiful beaches. Also it is famous for its elaborate Carnival festival, which is the Acireale's Carnival as one of the best in Sicily. Time for lunch and some wine tasting in a winery of this area which is rich in vineyards where they produce excellent Sicilian wine.
The city of Selinunte proper, known as the "Acropolis," is situated on high land overlooking the Mediterranean Sea which is about 20 meters below. Its an Archaeological Park and the biggest in Europe. It is famous as one of the most important cities of Greek Sicily for a period of about 2 Centuries, when it was one of the most progressive Greek cities in Sicily.
