At the Regional Archaeological Museum “Pietro Griffo” in Agrigento, in the room dedicated to the Temple of Olympian Zeus you can admire a telamon in its original vertical position.
The telamones were colossal statues alternating with the half-columns of the temple of Olympian Zeus (5th century BC). Today, one has been entirely reconstructed and is located, in its original vertical position, at the Museum Archeological Peter Griff, it is 7.65 meters high! Unfortunately, it has arrived very ruined to us, but it is still possible to distinguish between the legs, the bust, the arms, bent behind our shoulders to symbolically support the architect of the temple, and the head. As the ankles of the reconstructed statue are very thin, it is excluded that it might have a carrier function. The colour is typical yellow-ocra of stone agrigentina.
It was reconstructed from fragments found around the temple.
At its sides, six other reconstruction hypotheses are shown through reduced-scale models, while in one area of the museum you can see three original heads from these majestic male sculptures used as structural or decorative supports.
The telamon that you can see lying down in the Archaeological Park is actually a cast of the original.
Learn more
MiC – Ministero della Cultura
Legge 77/2006 - Misure Speciali di Tutela e Fruizione dei Siti Italiani di Interesse Culturale, Paesaggistico e Ambientale, inseriti nella “Lista Del Patrimonio Mondiale”, posti sotto la Tutela dell’ UNESCO Regione Siciliana.
Assessorato dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana, Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana.
Parco archeologico della Valle dei Templi di Agrigento.
