Agrigento

Agrigento is located on the southern coast of Sicily, overlooking the Mediterranean. It was one of the most import cities of Magna Graecia, settled by the Greeks at the beginning of the sixth century B.C. For comparison, when it was settled, Rome was less than 100 years old and still just a group of huts on the Palatine hill. At it’s peak it had between 100,000 and 200,000 residents. After battles of the Punic war and other invaders, it declined and never recovered. Agrigento can be easily reached by train from Palermo. From the train station, a bus will transport you to the Valley of the Temples

Valley of the Temples

The valley of the Temples was a sacred area on a plain below the city. The temples that still remain were built by the Greeks during the sixth century B.C.

This is a statue which was part of one of the largest temples. In the model pictured below, you can see where these statues where placed and provides an idea of the scale of the temple