The Valley of the Temples is an ancient Greek archeological site located on a ridge outside the town of Agrigento. We drove the 30 kilometers to the site to take in the more than 3000-year-old ruins. The Greeks called the colony “Akragus” which takes the name of a river nearby that supplied crabs. There was an extensive parking lot and lots of tourists and it was an extremely hot day. Despite this, it was an awesome spectacle and made me contemplate the ancient Greeks and human existence on Earth. The Greeks were one of the first nations to colonize Sicily and it was amazing to experience one of their fortresses.
I remember learning in elementary school the difference between Doric style and Ionic style columns. This site only had Doric columns which are older and simpler. The Temple of Concordia’s six-column facade is featured in the UNESCO logo, which says a lot about the place of Greek archeology and culture with the UN world heritage system. As with many religious sites, later civilizations converted it to their religion, and the Romans and other groups converted it to a church. “Apart from the Parthenon in Athens, this is the best preserved Doric temple in the world.”
Looking out to the sea from the ridge, I see why the Greeks set up fortifications in that location. They can see who is coming and defend the high ground. It was in contrast to the modern city of Agrigento located on a parallel ridge a few miles further inland. The ancient Greeks would have marveled at Agrigento while today, we marvel at the ancient Greeks.
Bookending the site is the other awesome temple, the Temple of Hera Lacinia. This one is not as restored as the Temple of Concordia. The temple was built in 450 BC and dedicated to the wife of Zeus, Hera, or as the Romans called her, Juno. It is the twin of Concordia, also consisting of six columns in front and 13 columns on the side. The building is approximately 38 by 17 meters in area. The Carthaginians and later Romans pillaged the site.
It was awesome to see Greek history and mythology come alive and be in the same spot as the ancient Greeks.
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