Agrigento

"There lingers a wind that I recall afire / within the manes of slanted horses / that marks and gnaws the sandstone and the heart / of the gloomy telamons, lying / above the grass". The verses of Salvatore Quasimodo introduce visitors to the awe-inspiring Valley of the Temples, where the effect of the large telamons that supported the Temple of Olympian Zeus is anything but lugubrious. One thing's for certain, the archaeological park of ancient Akagras (the Ancient Greek word for Agrigento) - which the Greek poet Pindaro called “the most beautiful city” -and which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Sitewon't leave you indifferent. The magnificent Doric temples date back to the 5th century BC, when the city was at its peak. Excavations have also brought to light other parts of the ancient city such as public buildings, water systems, necropolises and fortifications, up to the archaeological and monumental ruins dating from the early Christian era. In the park, there are also nature trails through the Mediterranean scrub, amid agaves and prickly pear trees and acres of olive groves, vinyeards and almond trees. Among the many places of worship dedicated to the gods of Olympus, what else but a Greek myth could explain the luxuriant early flowering of the almond trees. Every year, the people of Agrigento celebrate the arrival of spring with the Almond Blossom Festival, remembering the mythical but ill-fated love story between a princess and a warrior. The medieval and modern city developed around the 9th century AD, on the Girgenti hill. Even beyond the archaeological park, Agrigento still retains many traces of its splendid history , such as the medievalcentre with its winding maze of streets typical of Arab cities and the plethora of churches and buildings constructed in different styles through the centuries. Agrigento has been proclaimed the Italian Capital of Culture 2025, together with Lampedusa and the local towns.