Agrigento, Sicily, located on Italy’s largest island, has some of the oldest ruins in all of Italy. Not only is this a historic city, but it also has a special uniqueness about it because almost all of its ruins are Greek, not Roman.

Agrigento, Sicilia, as the Italians refer to it, is located on a plateau overlooking Sicily’s southern coast. Agrigento was founded around 580 BC by a group of colonists from Gela, who were the immediate descendents of Greeks. Perhaps this is why Argrigento has such a mixture of Greek and Italian influences. This medieval city has a certain charm about it that is unparalleled by any other Italian city. In the center of the city are many great shopping districts, restaurants and historical sights to see. My favorite of these sites is the Romanesque Gothic cathedral, built during the fourteenth century that still retains much of its original building material.

Located just outside the city, visitors will find the Valley of the Temples, the crowned jewel of Agrigento. Located in the Valley of the Temples are the ruins of numerous temples, houses and streets. There are two large temples in the Valley of the Temples. The Temple of Juno, built around 450 BC, and the Temple of Concord built around 440 BC. My favorite historical sight in Agrigento would definitely have to be the Temple of Concord. As you walk up the hill in the middle of the Valley of the Temples, the view of the Temple of Concord comes to view and you literally feel as if you have stepped back in time. It is in remarkable condition considering it was built thousands of years ago and it real portrays the idea of old-time Sicily.

Many people may notice that Agrigento’s architectural characters seems more Greek than Roman, but that is one of the things that make Agrigento so unique. Agrigento had all these different influences pulling on it that came together to form one very fascinating city.