Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. Panoramic view of the modern town of Agrigento, which overlooks the magnificent ruins of the Valley of the Temples. Akragas, modern-day Agrigento, is home to the UNESCO World Heritage listed site ‘Valley of the Temples’ which had the largest known assemblage of colonnaded temples in the Greek world.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of a circular altar with a bothros in the centre (for drink offerings to the gods) at the Sanctuary of the Chthonic Divinities. The sanctuary was a sixth-century BCE sacred walled complex of the underground Queen Persephone and her mother, the earth goddess Demeter. These and other divinities had shrines and altars scattered throughout the sanctuary.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the reconstructed northwest corner of the Temple of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri) at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from the 5th century BCE, the temple originally had 34 local shell limestone columns in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 13 columns. Around 1850, restorers reconstructed four columns and portions of the architraves, incorporating elements from other nearby buildings. The temple is in the Sanctuary of the Chthonic Divinities.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the reconstructed northwest corner of the Temple of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri) at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from the 5th century BC, the temple originally had 34 local shell limestone columns in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 13 columns. Around 1850, restorers reconstructed four columns and portions of the architraves using elements from other nearby buildings. The temple is in the Sanctuary of the Chthonic Divinities. In the background is the modern town of Agrigento.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the reconstructed northwest corner of the Temple of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri) at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from the 5th century BC, the temple originally had 34 local shell limestone columns in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 13 columns. Around 1850, restorers reconstructed four columns and portions of the architraves, incorporating elements from other nearby buildings. The temple is in the Sanctuary of the Chthonic Divinities.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the reconstructed northwest corner of the Temple of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri) at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from the 5th century BC, the temple originally had 34 local shell limestone columns in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 13 columns. Restorers incorporated elements from other nearby buildings to reconstruct four columns and portions of the architraves around 1850. The temple is in the Sanctuary of the Chthonic Divinities. In the background is the modern town of Agrigento.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of a copy of one of the colossal Telamon or Atlas figures that adorned the monumental Temple of Olympian Zeus. Builders constructed 38 enormous figures, each 7.75 meters tall. They set these figures on the outer wall of the temple. The temple measured 112.5 x 56.3 meters and stood 30 meters high, making it the largest Doric temple in Classical Greece.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of a copy of one of the colossal Telamon or Atlas figures that adorned the monumental Temple of Olympian Zeus. Thirty-eight enormous 7.75-meter-tall figures were built, and builders set them on the outer wall of the Temple. The Temple measured 112.5 x 56.3 meters and stood 30 meters high, making it the largest Doric temple in Classical Greece.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of piles of masonry blocks from the monumental Temple of Olympian Zeus. They have deep U-shaped grooves, which enabled them to be raised with ropes. Begun in 480 BCE to celebrate the victory over the Carthaginians at Himera, the temple was never completely finished; however; it was the largest Doric temple in the Greek world, measuring 113 x 56 metres and 30 metres high.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the north foundations and crepidoma of the monumental Temple of Olympian Zeus. Begun in 480 BCE to celebrate the victory over the Carthaginians at Himera, the temple was never completely finished; however; it was the largest Doric temple in the Greek world, measuring 113 x 56 metres and 30 metres high.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of a wall of the monumental Temple of Olympian Zeus. Begun in 480 BC to celebrate the victory over the Carthaginians at Himera, the temple was never completely finished; however; it was the largest Doric temple in the Greek world, measuring 113 x 56 metres and 30 metres high.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. Panoramic view of the modern town of Agrigento, which overlooks the magnificent ruins of the Valley of the Temples. Akragas, modern-day Agrigento, is home to the UNESCO World Heritage listed site ‘Valley of the Temples’ which had the largest known assemblage of colonnaded temples in the Greek world.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the medieval town of Agrigento through the upright columns of the Temple of Herakles, or Tempio di Ercole, at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from around 500 BCE, it is the oldest and second largest of the temples here and originally had 38 local shell limestone columns in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 15 columns. Archaeologists partly re-erected the south colonnade of the temple in 1924.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the medieval town of Agrigento through the upright columns of the Temple of Herakles, or Tempio di Ercole, at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from around 500 BCE, it is the oldest and second largest of the temples here and originally had 38 local shell limestone columns in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 15 columns. In 1924, people partly re-erected the south colonnade of the temple.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the upright columns of the Temple of Herakles or Tempio di Ercole, at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from around 500 BCE, it is the oldest and second largest of the temples here and originally had 38 local shell limestone columns in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 15 columns. Archaeologists partly re-erected the south colonnade of the temple in 1924.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. A partial view of the front (east side) of the Doric Temple of Hera, or Tempio di Giunone Lacina, at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from 450 BCE, the Temple originally had 34 local shell limestone columns in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 13 columns, of which 25 are still upright.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the steps leading to the rear of the Doric Temple of Hera, or Tempio di Giunone Lacina, at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from 450 BCE, the Temple originally had 34 local shell limestone columns in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 13 columns, of which 25 are still upright.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the steps leading to the rear of the Doric Temple of Hera, or Tempio di Giunone Lacina, at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from 450 BCE, the Temple originally had 34 local shell limestone columns in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 13 columns, of which 25 are still upright.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the front (east side) of the Doric Temple of Hera, or Tempio di Giunone Lacina, at the Valley of the Temples. This temple, constructed in 450 BCE, originally featured 34 local shell limestone columns arranged in a peripteral hexastyle layout of 6 columns by 13 columns; 25 of these columns remain standing today.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the front of the magnificent Greek Doric Temple of Concord, or Tempio della Concordia, at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from around 430 BCE, the Temple has all of its original 34 local shell limestone columns still standing in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 13 columns; only the ceiling and roof are missing.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the front of the magnificent Greek Doric Temple of Concord, or Tempio della Concordia, at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from around 430 BCE, the Temple has all of its original 34 local shell limestone columns still standing in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 13 columns; only the ceiling and roof are missing.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. View of the front of the magnificent Greek Doric Temple of Concord, or Tempio della Concordia, at the Valley of the Temples. Dating from around 430 BCE, the Temple has all of its original 34 local shell limestone columns still standing in a peripteral hexastyle plan of 6 by 13 columns; only the ceiling and roof are missing.Agrigento. Sicily. Italy. A view down the Via Sacra reveals the impressive Greek Doric Temple of Concord, also known as Tempio della Concordia, in the Valley of the Temples. Constructed circa 430 BCE, the temple retains all 34 of its original columns, fashioned from local shell limestone. A peripteral hexastyle layout arranges these columns, featuring six columns on the ends and thirteen along the sides. Only the ceiling and roof are absent from the structure. Its conversion into a Christian church in the 6th century CE ensured its preservation.
