TIME OF AGREEMENT
Read moreThe temple of the Concorde, elegant, harmonious and solemn, is one of the most perfect and best preserved Hellenistic temples in the world! Founded in 340 BC, it consists of calcarénite, a rock formed by an amalgam of limestone sand. But we must imagine that, originally, this Doric style temple was entirely covered with white stucco, both outside and inside. Some elements were polychrome, like the frise alternant alternant and triglyphes which overcame the columns, and its roof was covered with marble tiles. Today we are far from its original colourful aspect!
Its classical architecture consists of an peristyle of 34 elegant columns with cannelés drums, i. e. 13 columns on the lengths and 6 on the smallest sides, which rise over a four-degree the. The architects of the ancient world used techniques of trompe to strengthen the monumental aspect of the building. If the temple approaches its verticality we think it is perfect, looking closer to you can see that the columns are slimmer in their upper parts (on long sides), so the impression is that they are larger. To compensate, columns of smaller sides are slightly tilted towards the interior of the temple. A successful optical illusion!
According to the classical tradition, its plan consists of three internal spaces, the cella, the most important piece which often served as sanctuary, the pronaos, entrance vestibule, and the opisthodome, the posterior part of the temple where the offerings or sacred objects could be preserved. Note that the interior does not visit. However, you can guess its internal architecture by turning around.
Today we do not know who this temple was dedicated to. He owes his name to archaeologist Tommaso Fazello who was inspired by a Latin inscription, Concordia, found in the vicinity of the temple, which has no connection with the temple. However, two statues were found inside the place of worship, which caused the hypothesis of its attribution to the Dioscures, Castor and Pollux! Unfortunately, we lack historical elements to be able to assert this.
Why is the temple of Concorde so well Preserved? It is thanks to Bishop Grégoire who, in the th century. D.C., transformed the Doric temple into Christian basilica, which saved him from a certain destruction by Christians. Grégoire destroyed both pagan idols from Eber and Raps found in the temple before dedicating it to the apostles Peter and Paul. The architecture of the temple was modified by a series of arcades that enriched the cella, strengthening the conservation of the temple of La Concorde. In the west wall, burials were dug to form a christian necropolis. There were also tombs in arcosolium (circulaires niches surmounted by an arc). It was only after the restoration of 1788 that the temple regained its ancient form after having removed the internal additions from the christian era. Since then, the temple has undergone several restorations.
In front of the temple of La Concorde, a contemporary artist installed a beautiful sculpture depicting Icarus from the Sky. Son of the famous architect and inventor Maze, he wanted to escape from the maze with wax wings made by his father before flying too close to the sun… and to burn the wings! At night, the temple of the Concorde is lit and repère by far, sitting majestically on the Valley of Temples.
VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES - PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO
Famous Valley of the Temples of Agrigento classified as a World Heritage ...Read more
TEMPIO DI ZEUS OLYMPIOS
Read moreFrom Highway 118 to the West, we reach the temple of Zeus also called the Olymperion, a huge sacred building of doric style, (6,430 m ²), glorified by Diodore and Polybel, and built in memory of the victory against the Carthaginians in Himere in 408 BC. This temple is one of the largest that has ever been built in Antiquity. The two cyclopes, once inserted in the middle of the half-columns of the temple as to support the forgiveness, became the symbols of the city. Completely stripped of his sculptures and decorations, the temple of Zeus stood up until the Middle Ages, and gradually, gradually, over the years fell into ruins.
GIUNONE TEMPIO
Read moreThe temple of Junon is situated in a dominant position, isolated on a hillside, at the eastern end of the Valley of Temples. It was built around 460-450 BC in Doric style, its classical architecture now retains 25 intact columns for the pleasure of the curious, amateurs and historians. Comparable to the temple of the Concorde, it originally consisted of 34 columns, 13 on the longest sides and 6 on the shortest sides. Sixteen of its columns have also preserved their capitals. Imagine that its roof was once covered with marble tiles.
Its classical plan consists of an entrance vestibule called pronaos, a central piece, cella, and a posterior vestibule, opisthodome, as tradition desires. Its distinctive feature is the later construction of a gradins in the cella, where red traces witness a fire that historians have associated with the carthaginoises invasions of 406 B.C. and its attribution is uncertain, although it is widely named Junon temple by confusion. In the east you see a great altar once dedicated to sacrifice, as well as a piece of road dug by the wheels of the tanks of the time. Behind the temple, archaeologists also discovered a tank.
After its twin, the temple of La Concorde, it is certainly the best preserved temple of the valley, and its dominant position, 120 meters above the sea on the highest point of the Valley of Temples, makes it all the more impressive!
MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO REGIONALE DI AGRIGENTO
Archaeological museum with a superb collection of ancient ceramics and ...Read more
TEMPIO DI ERCOLE
Read moreOn the extreme south of the city, two paths depart from Highway 118. On the edge of the left, which leaves towards the east, lies the hill of the temples, with first the ruins of the temple of Ruins, first of the Doric Doric temples. It dates back to the th century BC and would be the oldest of the site. With elongated shape, it had 6 columns in its width and 15 in its length, high 10 m.
Today, there are only 8 columns left, 4 of which retain their top, the piers and the remains of the altar.
KOLYMBETRA GARDEN
Garden with an orchard enjoying a mysterious lush vegetationRead more
TEMPIO DEI DIOSCURI (CASTORE E POLLUCE)
Read moreNot far from the sanctuaries lies the ruins of the temple of the Dioscures or Castor and Pollux, composed of 4 columns supporting part of the architrave and pediment. Among the big ones, he has something very moving.
PIRANDELLO HOUSE
Late eighteenth century farmhouse preserving the works and memorabilia of ...Read more
CATTEDRALE - DUOMO SAN GERLANDO
Cathedral with a diocesan museum of furniture and liturgical objectsRead more
CATTEDRALE SANTA MARIA DEI GRECI
Cathedral with 3 naves and traces of frescoes from the 14th centuryRead more
ABBAZIA DI SANTO SPIRITO
Completely redesigned abbey with numerous baroque stuccos from the medieval ...Read more
VULCANIC TEMPIO
Read moreNear the ruins of the Temple of Des, the temple of Vulcain, dating from the end of the Fifth century BC, is located in the westernmost part of the Valley of Temples. Of the original 34 columns, there are only 2. Behind the temple of Zeus lies the area of the Roman forum. The Ekklesiasterion, the assembly of urban dwellers, is still drawing in a very legible way. It has a diameter of 48 m and contains 3 000 seats.
Areas of Greek and Punic dwellings remain only the route of the streets separating the foundations of the buildings, some columns, the porticos, some mosaics of mosaics, the traces of a huge network of piping. The house of peristyle is one of the best preserved dwellings.
The necropolis extends to the west of the ancient city.