The Archaeological Area of Agrigento , in Sicily , (in Greek Akragas, Magna Graecia ), includes the "archaeological park of the Valley of the Temples, and other remains located on the acropolis and in various places in the city.

History

Didrachm of Akragas towards -490/-483

Description of the archaeological site

Characteristics of temples

Temple	Location	Time	Type of construction	Surface	Columns	Notes
Temple of Zeus	Acropolis	- VI century			-	probably in the Cathedral of San Gerlando
Temple of Heracles (Hall A)	Archaeological park "Valley of the Temples"	to -500	Doric peripteral	25.34 67.00 m	6 15	Rriges 8 columns in the twentieth century ( map )
Temple of Athena (Temple E)	Acropolis	Home - V Century	Doric peripteral	15.10 34.70 m	6 13	under the church of S. Maria dei Greci ( map )
Olympian Zeus (Hall B)	Archaeological park "Valley of the Temples"	to -480	pseudo-Doric temple peripteral	56.30 112.60 m	7 14	pseudo-peripteral, half-blind columns between column-walled, entablature supported by Telamons ( plan , elevation , model )
Temple of Demeter (Tempel C)	Acropolis	-480/-470	in antis Doric	13.30 30.20 m	-	under the church of S. Biagio ( map )
Temples of Dioscuri (Temple I)	Archaeological park "Valley of the Temples"	half - V Century	Doric peripteral	13.86 31.70 m	6 13	rrig angle was in the nineteenth century
The Temple	Archaeological park "Valley of the Temples"	half - V Century	Doric peripteral	17.20 38.80 m *	6 13
Temple of Hera (Hall D)	Archaeological park "Valley of the Temples"	-460/-450	Doric peripteral	16.90 38.15 m	6 13	columns and architrave of the north side rriges the eighteenth century ( map )
Temple of Asclepius (Hall H)	south of the ancient city	the second half - the fifth century	in antis Doric to pseudo-opisthodomos	10.70 21.70 m	-
Temple of Concordia (Temple E)	Archaeological park "Valley of the Temples"	to -440	Doric peripteral	16.92 39.44 m	6 13	the best preserved of all temples of Sicily ( map , re-color )
Temple of Hephaestus (Hall G)	southwest corner of the old city	to -430	Doric peripteral	17.06 35.19 m *	6 13
Oratory of Phalaris	San Nicola Hill	- Second century	ion prostylos	5.30 8.50 m	4

Temple of Heracles (Hall A)

Temple of Heracles

The Temple of Hercules is located near the road, east of the park, near the entrance, right next door IV (Porta Aurea). The identification of this temple dedicated to Hercules is given by Cicero himself, quaestor in Sicily in the year -75. In his famous charges against Verres , he evokes a large statue of bronze of Hercules in a temple near the Agora (Agora low, near the gate IV): her lips and chin were worn, he said, by dint of being affected by the pilgrims, and Verres planned to seize!

The Temple of Hercules is the oldest of all those located near the southern wall, dating from the early - V ^century. It rests on a base with three degrees. His plan is consistent with that of most temples in Sicily. Its peristyle of 6 x 15 columns, however, is more elongated than usual, allowing the ends to spare a space equal to the width of two columns, both before the narthex in back of the opisthodomos. Also lacks the adytum , common in the temples of Sicily.

The elements of architrave show bled Siding U-shaped, designed to go skidding symmetrical loops.

Debris of the temple of Heracles were found scattered throughout the area, such as tents covered with stucco , as would be many other elements of the temple. The eight columns visible on the south side were up again in 1924, while the whole north side was from the ^nineteenth century.

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  Temple of Hercules 1900, by Giovanni Crupi
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  Same with bleeding Siding U
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  Temple A (Herakles)
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  Temple of Heracles

Map of the archaeological area of Agrigento
1. Temple of Hephaestus
2. Kolymbthra
3. Sanctuary chthonic deities and temple of Dioscuri
4. Olympeion
5. Tomb of Theron
6. Temple of Asklepios
7. Temple of Heracles
8. Temple of Concord
9. Temple of Hera
10. Basilicula
11. Sanctuary of Demeter
12. Temple of Demeter
13. Hellenistic and Roman Quarter
14. San Nicola Hill, museum
15. Ecclsiastrion and Oratory of Phalaris
16. Bouleuterion
17. Temple of Athena
18. Temple of Zeus

Temple of Olympian Zeus (Hall B)

Immediately after entering the park to the west, it faces the Temple of Olympian Zeus (or Olympeion), built by the tyrant Theron at -480 , after his victory over the Carthaginians at the Battle of Himera at the glory of the Greeks victorious barbarians. His identification as a temple of Zeus rests on the testimony of Diodorus of Sicily , which has left a description. Its exceptional size of 54.74 x 110.10 m are the Olympian Zeus of Akragas the biggest of all Doric temples and the third among the Greek temples. To the east of the temple still stands the mighty altar on which we proceeded to slaughter , sacrifice a hundred bulls.

The basement (Kreps) to five degrees supported a pillared hall inspired Carthaginian , consisting of two rows of 12 square pillars each 21 m high, walled up approximately midway. The peristyle was also composed of pillars, 7 in width and 14 in length with a height of 17 m, with half-columns on the terraced sides, the whole forming masses of stone 4 meters in diameter. These external pillars were connected by partitions: there is a labor temple "pseudo-peripteral. The peristyle and the aisles were covered, while the cella itself was probably hypthre , that is to say, the heavens opened. The number of columns in front being odd, it was with a central pillar instead of the usual access to the cella median: the entrance was then formed by two gates at the ends of the faade, giving direct access to nave side, and, it seems, practiced by a small entrance in the middle of the south side.

The upper part of the bulkheads between the exterior columns (see below the picture of Robert Koldewey and model exhibited at the museum) was occupied by a variety of niches containing statues of giants - the so-called " Telamons "- close 8 m high, which bore the weight of the roof. These traits had Telamons Carthaginian and symbolized the barbarians conquered, enslaved by the Greeks. These were added to a representation of the battle of the gods of Olympus against the Giants , is carved on the pediment of the temple. In 1825, archaeologist and painter Raffaello Politi did reconstitute the ground one of these giants, from scattered elements. The giant visible on the site is a copy, the original being exposed, this time vertically, the Archaeological Museum of Agrigento.

During the conquest of Akragas by Carthage in -406 , the temple, still unfinished, was destroyed: its well squared stones, relatively small, were reused, and there remains today little place that large elements of the bedrock and columns, and even some beautiful capitals.

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  Remnants of the Olympian Zeus

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  Remnants of the Olympian Zeus; channels siding U

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  Reconstituted giant lying on the site (reproduction)

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  The original rectified, museum

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  Model of Olympian Zeus (Agrigento museum)

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  Model of Olympian Zeus (Agrigento museum)

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  Torso of a warrior

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  Hall B (Olympeion)
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  Olympian Zeus, by Robert Koldewey

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  Olympian Zeus, seen by Giovanni Crupi

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  Olympeion

Temple of Dioscuri (Temple I)

To the west of the Olympian Zeus extends to a neighborhood V Gate of the city, with remnants of houses. North of this temple from a processional route that runs along the homes to join the Gate V and the "temple of the Dioscuri. " This name was arbitrarily assigned: the ancient sources tell us, of course, that Castor and Pollux were honored Acragas, but recent research tends rather to link the twins to the traditionally called "Temple of Concord."

The "temple of the Dioscuri is a Doric temple peripteral the mid - V ^century, plan similar to the "Concorde". The southeast corner was back in the nineteenth ^century by the sculptor Valerio Villa Reale and the architect Saverio Cavallari. This reconstruction is certainly very picturesque, and it even became a symbol and one of the most photographed ruins of Agrigento, it is denied the professional world, which sees a mixture of elements from different styles and different eras. Many remnants of drums of columns that once formed the fluted colonnade are scattered across the surface of the temple. One can also distinguish the remains of the altar on the east side.

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  Temple of Castor and Pollux, in the background

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  Photo of Giovanni Crupi
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  Temple of Castor and Pollux (1878), by Josiah Wood Whymper

Temple of Hera (Hall D)

Temple of Hera

The "Temple of Hera ", or" of Juno Lacinia "is, for the visitor, the last of the series, since it lies at the southwestern edge of the plateau. In truth, it is unclear to whom this temple was dedicated: the attribution to Hera is based only on confusion with the ancient temple of Hera's Capo Lacinio, near the town of Calabria in Crotone.

The "Temple of Hera" was high in the years -460 / -450. It is a Doric temple peripteral 6 13 columns, built on a foundation (Kreps) to four degrees, comparable to the "Temple of Concord" and compensate for uneven terrain. His plan is also very similar. The conflict of angles characteristic of Doric temples, however, was resolved in different ways: the angles north, west and south have been a simple contraction, that is to say that only the spacing of the extreme columns was reduced, while on the front (east side) it has played no lateral contraction, but only a reduction of space between the two central columns.

The temple was burned down in -406 by the Carthaginians, and then repaired by the Romans, - the ^first century. Of tiles of terracotta then replaced those of marble. The anastylosis began in the eighteenth ^century: today, 25 of the 34 columns of the peristyle were reconstructed. The northern colonnade retains all of its capitals and its architrave, while the cella is reduced to base elements and bases of columns, between walls of antes the narthex and the opisthodomos.

The east side is the altar of 29.3 m 10 m, almost as large as the cella, but at an angle to it. We found a tank behind the temple's west side.

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  View from the SS 115

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  1900, by Giovanni Crupi
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  Temple of Hera, by Giorgio Sommer

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  Hall D (Hera)
• img alt = "" src = "http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Agrigento5_ 28js%%% 29.jpg/120px-Agrigento5_ 28js% 29.jpg" width = "120 "height =" 78 "/>

  Temple of Hera

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  Temple of Hera

Temple of Concordia (Temple E)

Temple of Concord

Five solutions to the conflict of angles in the Doric temples:
I. Do nothing and allow to exceed the last column ...
II. Extend the last metope;
III. Extend the last triglyph;
IV. Reduce the space between the last two columns;
V. Add an empty segment at the end.

The temple of Concorde is, with the Hephaisteion (Theseion) of Athens and the Temple of Poseidon at Paestum , one of the best preserved temples of ancient Greece. His name is arbitrary due to a Roman inscription found nearby, which contained the Latin concordia. It was built in the -440 to -430.

The uneven terrain on which it is built are redeemed by a base (Kreps) important. His plan is the most classic form of the temples of Agrigento: narthex , nave , opisthodomos and peristyle of 6 x 13 columns.

Temple of Concorde Agrigento all those who have been made with more precision. The problem of the Doric temples own ends (conflict between the regularity of the metopes and triglyphs one hand, and the regular spacing of the columns on the other) has been solved in an unusual way: it was conducted entirely both the narrowing of space between the last two columns and elongation of metope extreme, for better visual effect.

Research has also shown that the lower parts of the temple were decorated with stucco white, while the friezes , metopes and upper parts were painted in bright colors. The roof was covered with tiles of marble.

In 597, Bishop Gregory of Agrigento temple has a basilica dedicated to Christian apostles Peter and Paul. Each of the walls of the cella was then pierced by twelve arches, and intercolumniations were walled, as it can still be seen today at the Cathedral of Syracuse. The entrance was delayed on the west side, which led to the removal of the partition between the nave and the opisthodomos, while the sacristy was positioned in the former narthex.

It was found in the temple two figures of gods Punic, which had been set aside. It was concluded that the time of the Greeks already had two deities honored here, and that the temple had been dedicated to the Dioscuri.

After the abandonment of the city, the church was again called into use until the seventeenth ^century. It was decommissioned in 1748. Since then, the temple was restored to its original state.

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  Reconstitution color

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  Photo of Giorgio Sommer

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  1900, by Giovanni Crupi
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  1900, by Giovanni Crupi
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  1900, by Giovanni Crupi
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  Temple F (of Concord)
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  Temple of Concord, by Serradifalco

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  Temple of Concord, by Robert Koldewey

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  Temple of Concord

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  Temple of Concord

Shrine of chthonic deities and temple L

The temple of Dioscuri stands on a temenos is the oldest of all places of worship known to Agrigento. The Greeks worshiped their gods from before the construction of great temples and Sicani used it as a place of worship.

On this temenos, south of the temple of Castor and Pollux, are the remains of another temple peripteral (The temple), built shortly after, the same plane, but a bit bigger. Both temples were probably built on earlier religious buildings.

In the northern part of the sanctuary are still the foundations of places of worship dating back to the first half of the sixth ^centuryBC. BC, that is to say shortly after the founding of the city. The Greeks honored chthonic deities, especially the goddesses of earth and fertility, Demeter and her daughter Persephone , but Hecate and Hades. This area thus defines the sanctuary of chthonic deities.

Amidst these places of worship are an altar and another circular rectangular. The altar has a circular cavity median was used to deposit the liquid offerings, or to collect the blood of animals offered in sacrifice. Around these altars are ordered buildings shaped megaron with narthex , nave and adytum , two east-west and north-south. The latter is connected to a building to worship cella which has a rectangular entrance facade which consists of four pillars. North building is another cult-like maze , with altar square in a side room, and a circular altar in the last room.

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  Chthonic deities of the shrine near the temple of the Dioscuri.

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  Sanctuary chthonic deities: large circular altar.

Necropolis

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  Early Christian Necropolis

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  Wall of the city

San Nicola Hill

• Agora, residential area
• Bouleuterion / Ecclsiastrion
• Oratory of Phalaris

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  Agora and Bouleuterion

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  Ecclsiastrion and Oratory of Phalaris

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  Church of San Nicola

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  Neighborhood Housing

Tomb of Theron

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  Tomb of Theron
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  1900
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  Tomb of Theron, for Serradifalco

Acropolis

• Temple of Zeus
• Temple of Athena

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  Temple of Athena

• Temple of Demeter

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  Temple of Demeter

Other areas

• Temple of Asklepios
• Temple of Hephaestus

Other remains

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  Marble sarcophagus, by Giovanni Crupi

Maps

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  Map of Robert Koldewey

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  Map Julius Schubring

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  Map Julius Schubring

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  Map of 1901

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  Map of the archaeological area

Paintings, drawings

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  Table of Jacob Philipp Hackert (1778)

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  Overview by Serradifalco

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  Temple of Concord, by Serradifalco

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  San Biagio (Temple of Demeter), by Serradifalco

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  Tomb of Theron, for Serradifalco

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  Olympian Zeus, by Robert Koldewey

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  Temple of Concord, by Robert Koldewey

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  S. Maria dei Greci (Temple of Athena), by Robert Koldewey

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  San Biagio (Temple of Demeter), by Robert Koldewey

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  Temple of Asclepius, by Robert Koldewey

Sources

• This section includes items translated from German : Archologische Statten von Agrigento.

See also

• History of Agrigento

Bibliography

• Johann Joachim Winckelmann : Anmerkungen ber die der Tempel zu Baukunst Grigenti in Sizilien. In: Bibliothek der schnen Wissenschaften und Knste. Bd 5. Dyck / Olms, Leipzig / Hildesheim 1758, S. 223-242.
• Leo von Klenze : Der Tempel olympischen of Jupiter in Agrigento, dargestellt nach den neuesten Ausgrabungen. Stuttgart 1821.
• Domenico Lo Faso Pietrasanta , Duca di Serradifalco: The Antichit della Sicilia. 3 bd. "Antichit di Agragante. Palermo 1836.
• Julius Schubring : Historische Topographie von Akragas. Leipzig 1870.
• Robert Koldewey , Otto Puchstein : Die griechischen Tempel in Unteritalien und Sicilian. 1. Text bd, 2. Bd Tafeln. Asher, Berlin 1899.
• Pirro Marconi : Agrigento, Topografie ed Arte. Vallecchi Editore, Firenze 1929.
• Biagio Pace : Arte e della Sicilia antica civilt. 4 Bde. Editor Dante Alighieri, Roma 1935-1949.
• Pietro Griffo: Agrigento - Neueste Fhrer durch die antike Stadt und modern. Soprintendenza alle antichit, Agrigento 1962.
• Klaus Gallas: Sizilien - Insel zwischen Morgenland und Abendland, Buchverlag DuMont, Kln 1986 (9.Aufl.) ISBN 3-7701-0818-3
• Ernesto De Miro: Das Tal der Tempel in Agrigento, Sizilien. Atlantis, Herrsching 1989, ISBN 3-88199-543-9
• Christoph Hcker: Planung und Konzeption von der klassischen Ringhallentempel Agrigent. Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main 1993, ISBN 3-6314-5853-3
• Ferruccio Delle Cave, Marta Golin: Agrigento, das Tal der Tempel. Mit dem archologischen Museum. Folio, Wien u. a. 2004, ISBN 3-85256-275-9
• Brigit Carnabuci, Sizilien - Kunstreisefhrer, DuMont Reiseverlag, Ostfildern, 4. Auflage 2006, ISBN 377014385X
• Dieter Mertens: Stdte und Bauten der Westgriechen. Von der bis zur Krise Kolonisation am Ende des 5. Jh. v. Chr. Hirmer, Mnchen 2006, ISBN 3-7774-2755-1

External Links

• (It) Valley of the Temples , official website of the Province of Agrigento;
• (En) All information in French to visit the Valley of the Temples
• (It) Parco Valle dei Templi Agrigento , official page;
• (It) Archaeological Museum of Agrigento
• (In) Archaeological Museum of Agrigento
• (It) A detailed description of the Valley of the Temples
• (En) Description of the site in French and temples. Measures, history and architecture
• (It) (fr) InfoAgrigento.it Tourist Point

Archaeology of Magna Graecia Remains of classical Greece to Sicily and southern Italy
Sicily	Agrigento and the Valley of Temples Camarina Gela Heraclea Minoa Himera Lilybaeum Motya Naxos Segesta Selinunte Neapolis Archaeological Park (Syracuse) Greek temples in Syracuse Tyndaris
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