Agrigento, The Valley of the Temples and the House of Pirandello

Agrigento, The Valley of the Temples and the House of Pirandello

Founded by colonists from Gela in 582 BC, the ancient Akragas derives its name from the homonymous river that flows past it. During 370 years of domination, Akragas was amongst the most powerful and magnificent cities in the Mediterranean so much so that it was defined as “the loveliest of mortal cities.” It was during the reign of Phalaris (570-555 BC) that the city was at the height of its splendour. Indeed its fortified walls and most of the public works date to this period. Notorious for his cruelty and for his bronze bull that he used to torture his enemies, Phalaris is remembered by Dante in his Divine Comedy. After his reign, the tyranny of Theron followed (488-471 BC). A direct descendant of the illustrious family of Emmenidi, he contributed to Akragas’ rise in population, counting 300,000 inhabitants, and its expanding territories reaching out to the northern coast of Sicily. At the height of its development Akragas became a formidable military power defeating Carthage on several occasions. Under Empedocles from 471 to 406 BC the city experienced a period of great economic prosperity and peace with the Carthaginians. It was during this period that numerous temples were erected. Towards the end of the V century followed a period of decline that was marked by the rivalry with Syracuse. The siege lasted for eight months and culminated in 406 BC with the capitulation of the city to Carthaginians forces led by Hannibal. Akragas and Gela repopulated only after an agreement treaty was signed between the Carthaginians and Dionysius I of Syracuse, but they could no longer be fortified and had to endure taxation imposed by Carthage. The city was rebuilt in 339 BC thanks to the Corinthian Timoleon. Timoleon’s victory over the Carthaginians at Crimisus in 339 replaced the Greek-Siceliota cities (Sicilian poleis of Greek origins) under the influence of Syracuse while bringing about a period of regeneration and development. However, peace was relatively short-lived and when Agatocles assumed power in 311 B.C. Akragas renewed hostilities against Syracuse forming a coalition of Greek cities that was defeated by Syracuse on two occasions. During the tyranny of Phintias from 289 to 270 B.C., Gela was destroyed and its inhabitants were forced to move to the new city of Phintiade, named after the tyrant himself, in the area close to present-day Licata. After Phintias, in 209 BC during the second Punic War, Akragas was fought over by the Romans and the Carthaginians and, when it finally fell under the control of the Roman Empire, the city was given the Latin name Agrigentum. Today Agrigento boasts several beautiful churches, monuments and a few buildings of historic interest, even if its notoriety is certainly due to its magnificent “Valle dei Templi” (“Valley of the Temples”) whose enchanting beauty and charm outstrips the popularity of the Acropolis of Athens. In the city centre are the churches of the Addolorata, San Giuseppe, San Domenico, Chiesa dell’Itria, Chiesa dell’Immacolata and Madonna degli Angeli, built upon the ruins of a temple. The churches contain authentic treasures of sacred and religious art. An attentive visit should be paid to the Town Hall (“Municipio”), which is now located in what in ancient times was an old Dominican monastery from the XVII century, as well as the Pirandello theatre, built in 1870 by Giovan Battista Basile and Dionisio Sciascia. The theatre had originally been dedicated to queen Margherita of Savoy and was later named after the celebrated literate only in 1946. Another must is a visit to the Cathedral. Construction work started in the year 1100 but only 200 years afterwards the Church was named after Saint Gerland, patron of the city. Pirandello’s birthplace is as well another monument worth visiting. The Pirandello family took refuge in this house during an outbreak of cholera, and it was here that Luigi Pirandello was born on 28 June 1867.

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