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B&B MiraValle Agrigento

From the B&B Miravalle Agrigento is possible to reach the Valley of the Temples by bus or car in just 7 minutes.

Valley of the Temples is an archaeological site in Agrigento (ancient Greek Akragas), Sicily, southern Italy. It is one of the most outstanding examples of Greater Greece art and architecture, and is one of the main attractions of Sicily as well as a national monument of Italy.

The area was included in the UNESCO Heritage Site list in 1997. Much of the excavation and restoration of the temples was due to the efforts of archaeologist Domenico Antonio Lo Faso Pietrasanta (1783–1863), who was the Duke of Serradifalco from 1809 through 1812. The archaeological park and landscape of the Valley of the Temples is the largest archaeological site in the world with 1,300 hectares.

The term "valley" is a misnomer, the site being located on a ridge outside the town of Agrigento.

THE TEMPLES

The Valley of the Temples is characterized by the remains of ten Doric temples, three sanctuaries, a large concentration of burial (Montelusa; Moses; Pezzino; Roman necropolis and the tomb of Theron, early Christian; Acrosoli); water works (the Kolymbetra garden and the Hypogeum); fortifications; part of a neighborhood built on Roman Hellenistic Greek plan; two important meeting places: the Agora lower (not far from the remains of the Temple of Olympian Zeus) and the upper Agora (located within the museum complex); a Olympeion and Bouleuterion (boardroom) Roman era of Greek plan. The names of the temples and their identifications, except Olympeion, are presumed to be pure speculation humanities, which are, however, remained in common use.

• • Temple of Concordia, whose name comes from a Latin inscription found nearby, and which was built in the 5th century BC. Turned into a church in the 6th century AD, it is now one of the best preserved in the Valley.
• • Temple of Juno, also built in the 5th century BC. It was burnt in 406 BC by the Carthaginians. Temple of Heracles, who was one of the most venerated deities in the ancient Akragas. It is the most ancient in the Valley: destroyed by an earthquake, it consists today of only eight columns.
• • Temple of Olympian Zeus, built in 480 BC to celebrate the city-state's victory over Carthage. It is characterized by the use of large scale atlases.
• • Temple of Castor and Pollux. Despite its remains including only four columns, it is now the symbol of modern Agrigento.
• • Temple of Vulcan, also dating from the 5th century BC. It is thought to have been one of the most imposing constructions in the valley; it is now however one of the most eroded.
• • Temple of Asclepius, located far from the ancient town's walls; it was the goal of pilgrims seeking cures for illness.
• • Temple of Athena. Built away from the valley proper. It is located in the historic center of the city of Agrigento. On the basis of the temple now it stands the medieval church of Santa Maria dei Greci.
• • -Temple of Iside, It lies within the museum complex of San Nicola.
• • -Temple of Demeter and Demeter rock sanctuary. The temple is situated in the eastern part of the city, on the side of the slope which ends the Rock of Athena in the Akragas river valley. From the terrace of the temple of Demeter, through a staircase hollowed out of the rock, you reach the sanctuary below completely dug into the hillside.

Source: Wikipedia