Sicily's most enthralling archaeological site encompasses the ruined ancient city of Akragas, highlighted by the stunningly well-preserved Tempio della Concordia , one of several ridge-top temples that once served as beacons for homecoming sailors. The 1300-hectare park, 3km south of Agrigento, is split into eastern and western zones. Ticket offices with car parks are at the park's eastern edge and along the main road dividing the eastern and western zones.
Eastern Zone
If you only have time to explore part of the site, make it the eastern zone, where you'll find the three best-preserved temples. The 5th-century-BC Tempio di Hera , also known as the Tempio di Giunone (Temple of Juno), is perched on the edge of a ridge. Though partly destroyed by an earthquake in the Middle Ages, much of the colonnade remains intact, as does a long altar, originally used for sacrifices. The traces of red are the result of fire damage, most likely during the Carthaginian invasion of 406 BC.
From here, the path continues westwards, past a gnarled 800-year-old olive tree and a series of Byzantine tombs built into the city walls, to the Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concord). This remarkable edifice, the model for Unesco's logo, has survived almost entirely intact since it was constructed in 430 BC. There are several reasons why it has survived while other temples have not, one being that it was converted into a Christian basilica in the 6th century and the main structure was reinforced. The principle reason, though, is more down to earth. Beneath the hard rock on which the temple stands is a layer of soft clay that acts as a kind of natural shock absorber, protecting it from earthquake tremors. Whether the Greek engineers knew this when they built the temple is the subject of debate, but modern scholars tend to think they did. In 1748 the temple was restored to its original form and given the name it's now known by.
The last of the zone's temples, the Tempio di Ercole , is the oldest, dating from the end of 6 BC. Eight of its 38 columns have been raised and you can wander around the remains of the rest. Down from the main temples, you can see a little temple set on a high base. This is known as the Tomba di Terone , although it dates to 75 BC, about 500 years after the death of Theron, Agrigento's Greek tyrant.
Western Zone
The main feature of the western zone is the crumbled ruin of the Tempio di Giove . Covering an area of 112m by 56m with columns 20m high, this would have been the largest Doric temple ever built had its construction not been interrupted by the Carthaginians sacking Akragas. The incomplete temple was later destroyed by an earthquake. Lying flat on his back amid the rubble is an 8m-tall telamon (a sculpted figure of a man with arms raised), originally intended to support the temple's weight. It's actually a copy of the original, which is in the Museo Archeologico.
A short hop away, four columns mark the Tempio dei Dioscuri , a 5th-century-BC temple that was destroyed by an earthquake and partially rebuilt in the 19th century. Just behind is a complex of altars and small buildings believed to be part of the 6th-century-BC Santuario delle Divine Chtoniche . In a natural cleft near the sanctuary is the Giardino della Kolymbetra , a lush garden with more than 300 (labelled) species of plants and some welcome picnic tables. It's a steep climb down to the garden, best avoided if you've got dicky knees.
