Valley of the Temples - Agrigento - Day 3

Today we got out early to visit the Valley of the Temples. Several Temples in a row in the hillside below Agrigento.

We started with the temple of Juno - I think it dates back to the 600-500 BC. It is surprisingly still intact and has not been reconstructed. 

This photo still shows remnants of the plaster they used to cover the temples to make them look like marble. 

I don’t know why I get a kick out of this photo of Mike putting on sunscreen with the temple behind him.

Next we walked along the ancient wall that would’ve surrounded the city. It’s even older than the temples.

People weren’t allowed to bury their loved ones within the city so they created niches in the wall like stone coffins. Now they’ve eroded away and created “windows,” with beautiful views.

Next was the Temple of Concordia

And the Temple of Hercules

These columns are the only upright things. 

And this is another column that’s been standing for over 2500 years. Crazy.

The Temple of Zeus would have been the largest (of course, it’s Zeus!) but it was the most dilapidated. It would have been 10 stories tall and longer than two football fields!

The last - Temple of Castor & Pollox was the least interesting since it was also mostly toppled down columns and the ones upright had been reconstructed. 

When we reached the end of the temples we had to walk all the way back to our car. We were pretty hot, sweaty and tired. We knew there was a shuttle but couldn’t find any info on where to catch it. After a rest that wasn’t cooling or rejuvenating we started to walk back. We turned a corner and - Hooray! - there was the shuttle pick up! Best €6 we’ve ever spent!

Next we went to the Archelogical museum. 

It featured a statue - Called a treamon- That would’ve been on the outside of Zeus temple.  It’s 40 feet high. It’s feet are narrower than it’s torso and head so that when you looked up at it from below it would look in proportion. 

(Mike had to practically lay down on the floor to get this photo.)

The Greeks were clever like that - Adjusting the building’s structure so it looks visually correct from the distance people would view it.

After a rest at the hotel we ventured into Agrigento and had a look around. It’s a lovely working town. Driving here was even crazier than Trapani because you’re navigating hilly streets that seem more like sidewalks and no traffic rules. Mike is a pro.

We took a walk around Agrigento and discovered all sorts of fun areas - And some cats.

We stopped for a drink and then a good seafood dinner.