The first temples and the cult of Demeter and Persephone

The senses tell The Temple of Heracles

sight
The brilliant colours of the antiquity

The decorative frieze of the Temple of Heracles is a precious testimony that expresses the joy and liveliness of the sacred buildings of Akragas: the ornamentation was a decorated line that flowed around the entire temple, completed below by a red strip accompanied by a small blue slab at each triglyph (a decorative temple element with three vertical grooves).
The cornice, positioned above the frieze, had very fine relief sculptures in the shape of leaves, small palms and lion heads. It was a sight to behold!

touch
The effect of time on the columns

The columns of the Temple of Heracles that we can still see tower high and majestic towards the sky.
On their shaft you can still see traces of the smooth plaster coating, which contrasts with the porous consistency of the Agrigento limestone. If you slide your hand across the columns, you can still feel the trace of the vertical grooves.

To the touch, the column is more pronounced in the parts covered with plaster, and less so in the sections of limestone, a softer material, corroded by time and adverse weather.

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

Reinforcement of natural ramparts

The Temple of Heracles

The Temple of Demeter

Phalaris, the terrible tyrant

Empedocles, the political philosopher

The Temple of Asclepius

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

The Temple of Concordia

The lively decorations of the temple

Theron, tyrant of the arts and victories

The Eleusinian mysteries

Sacrifices for the goddesses that made the fields fertile

Akragas in the beginning

The walls of Akragas in the fifth century BC

The sanctuary of the chthonic deities

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

The Akragas building sites

The Temple of Hera Lacinia

Vegetation in the Gardens

The most beautiful city of mortals

The cult of Demeter and Persephone

The Kolymbetra Garden

The Twelve Labours of Heracles