Sicily’s Majestic Greek Temples

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Before the Romans conquered Sicily it was an island colonised by the Ancient Greeks . Many reminders of Sicily’s Greek past which lasted for several centuries, can still be seen today .

Among the most compelling examples are the the mighty temples ruins at the sites of Selinunte , Segesta and Agrigento .

Founded in 581 BC Agrigento grew into a city of 200,000 and the ruins of four temples stand in the aptly named Valley of the Temples.

The most impressively preserved temple is the Temple of Concord with its 34 majestic columns still standing . It’s regarded as one of the best preserved Greek temples in the world. You can also visit temples of Zeus, Hercules and Hera.

The temples are set in a ridge high above the surrounding modern city of Agrigento. The Ancient Greek city here was protected by walls and you can view the valley and nearby coast below through the wall ruins as well.

It is possible to walk from one temple to the next in about two hours . In the evening the temples are lit up adding further drama to this spectacular site.

Segesta’s one temple has 36 Doric columns and an amphitheatre located high up on a hill above the temple where the ancient city was located

At Selinunte , in ancient times a rival to Segesta, you can visit the ruins of eight temples .The ruins here are more spread out . Excavations have brought to light fortification walls and an Acropolis and the massive size of these temples and their Doric columns which are the largest on the island .The Temple of Hera is the most impressive. It has 68 columns that still support part of the trabeation.

The Temple of Apollo is the most ancient temple here and had six columns in the short sides and 17 on the long sides.

Selinunte was destroyed by Carthage in 409BC and largely forgotten.