Agrigento is situated on the south coast of Sicily and is a relatively new and not particularly exciting town. More exciting is its past, which dates back to the end of the 5th century BC when the Greeks built the magnificent Valley of the Temples, Valle dei Templi. The Valley of the Temples is remarkable because it is so well preserved. The Temple of Concorde is one of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world. It dates back to approx. 440 BC and is, to this day, virtually intact albeit with no roof or décor. In 597 AD the temple was turned into a Christian basilica and remained so until the 1600s. In the valley you will also find the remains of the Hera Lacinia Temple, the Heracles Temple, the Asclepius Temple, the Dioscuri Temple, the Vulkan Temple and the tomb of Theron. Not much is left of the Temple of Zeus except for one of the gigantic Telamon figures which once adorned it. Slightly to the right of the temples you will find the remains of a Roman-Hellenic district, the San Biagio Church, the San Nicola Church and a very impressive archaeological museum.
Since its origin, Agrigento has had four different names depending on who reigned at the time - the Arabs, Greeks, Romans or the Normans. In 1929 it was confirmed that the city should have a name from the Norman reign and Grigenti became 'Agrigento'
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