One of Sicily’s most famous historical attractions is without a doubt the Valley of the Temples, just outside Agrigento. This splendid archaeological park consists of eight temples (and various other remains) built between about 510 BC and 430 BC: the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Concordia, the Temple of Heracles, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the Temple of Hephaestos, the Temple of Demeter, and the Temple of Asclepius (the God of Medicine). Apart from this latter, which is to be found on the banks of the Akragas river, all are situated in the same area on rocky crests south of modern day Agrigento (not really in a Valley at all!).
Lovers of horticulture should head to the Garden of Kolymbethra, situated between the Temple of Castor and Pollux and the Temple of Vulcano. After years of abandonment, the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (the Italian National Trust) has brought the garden back to its former fertile beauty. Its five hectares include a wonderful variety of flora including myrtle, lentisk, terebinth and broom bushes, willow and white poplar trees, ancient varieties of lemon, mandarin and orange trees, mulberry bushes, prickly pears, and carob, almond and ancient "Saracen" olive trees.
Luckily we are able to do this thanks to these wonderful shots.
