Iron is one of the most widespread and abundant metals on Earth. It is usually found bound to other chemical elements such as carbon or nickel, and very rarely found in its pure state; the small amounts of pure iron on our planet are probably of extra-terrestrial origin, brought here by meteorites. ...

Dionysius was tyrant of Syracuse for a long time. He was very interested in art and literature, but is best known for his evil and suspicious character. The years of his tyranny are in fact remembered as a period of real terror. It seems that Dionysius trusted no one: to avoid relying on a barber,...

The wealth of the inhabitants of Agrigento was known throughout Sicily. History offers us some anecdotes about a rich and well known Akragantine character named Gellia who, in her wine cellars, had three hundred barrels dug directly into the rock, each of which could contain as many as one hundred...

The orchestra is a circular or semicircular area at the base of the cavea. This space was dedicated to the choir performance. The choir members, called choralists, walked or danced together, commented using song on what was happening on stage and sometimes intervened directly in the action. ...

In recent years, the grounds of the park have been salvaged and developed by the Valley of the Temples Archaeological Park. In the plain below the Temple of Hera Lacinia there are vineyards of particular interest, selected over the years by local growers.These luxuriant vines produce the red wine ...

The Panhellenic games were sporting events involving all the cities of ancient Greece. The most important ones were held in Olympia in honour of Zeus, but there were also the Pythian Games in Delphi, the Nemean Games in Nemea and the Isthmian Games in Corinth, all dedicated to different deities. ...

The colours that the ancients used to decorate their magnificent temples could be plant, animal or mineral in origin. Minerals called haematite and cinnabar, or ox blood, were used to produce red. Yellow was extracted from another mineral called limonite, blue from azurite, and green from malachi...

The founders of Akragas were the descendants of the Greek settlers who had founded Gela one century before, a town around 80 km south of Agrigento. This population originated from the Greek islands of Rhodes and Crete, which is why they are referred to as Rhodium-Cretan....

Horse-drawn chariot races were one of the most anticipated events, but also one of the most dangerous. The charioteers who drove the wagons had to be young, tall and light to manage these vehicles fitted with agile wooden wheels, and avoid slowing them down with their weight. The race involved t...

In the Garden of Kolymbetra, in addition to the citrus fruits that sweeten the surroundings with their scent, there are thousand-year-old olive trees. These evergreen plants belong to the Oleaceae family and are particularly good at standing the test of time. They even have the ability to rege...