The monumentalization of Akragas

The senses tell The Temple of Concord

sight
The colours of the sunset

The Temple of Concordia, in its majestic integrity, is a spectacle that fascinates and elicits respect.
The imposing Doric columns, surmounted by capitals that are still intact, support the trabeation without any apparent effort.
The characteristic yellow ochre colour of the Agrigentine stone used to build the temple seems to light up in even warmer tones under the light of the sunset, making it even more evocative.

smell
Mass in the Temple of Concordia

Let’s go back in time to when mass was celebrated in the Temple of Concordia, when it was a building of Christian worship.
Just as would happen during the celebration of pagan rites, within it emanated the perfumes of incense that bestowed solemnity to moments of prayer, among the soft and vibrant glow of oil lamps.
The entire grand building, supported by majestic Doric columns, was draped in vibrant colours at sunset and sweetened with fragrances that invited reflection.

taste
The treasures of the Girgentana goats

In recent years it has been discovered that the milk of the Girgentana goats produces fine cheese with a delicate yet particular taste given by the mixture of typical Sicilian flavours.
Some examples are the mbriaca , a caciotta cheese that is immersed in Nero d’Avola wine; cinniri cheese, which is left to rest in the ashes of almond wood; and ficarra, a stracchino cheese refined in fig leaves.

Reinforcement of natural ramparts

The walls of Akragas in the fifth century BC

The Temple of Demeter

Sacrifices for the goddesses that made the fields fertile

The Temple of Concordia

Vegetation in the Gardens

The most beautiful city of mortals

Phalaris, the terrible tyrant

The Temple of Asclepius

The Eleusinian mysteries

The sanctuary of the chthonic deities

The lively decorations of the temple

A monument for the victory over Carthage: the Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Sanctuary of Asclepius: a place of welcome for the sick

Theron, tyrant of the arts and victories

The cult of Demeter and Persephone

The Temple of Heracles

The Kolymbetra Garden

Akragas in the beginning

The Temple of Hera Lacinia

From pagan cults to Christian worship: the Church of St. Gregory

The Akragas building sites

Empedocles, the political philosopher

The Twelve Labours of Heracles