This week we took a two-day trip to the southwest side of
the island, to the most spectacular sites in Sicily, Agrigento (ancient
Acragas) and Selinunte (ancient Selinus).
The weather was glorious both days. Agrigento boasts the temples of Heracles…
…and of Hera, with its altar…
…and a wonderful museum with the famous Agrigento ephebe in the
background:
At Selinunte, the temples are equally impressive:
But there is also much more of the Greek city (cities )
remaining, including some clear remains of Carthaginian occupation in the 4th
and 3rd centuries:
On the westernmost hill there is also a fascinating
sanctuary that well illustrates the ways in which a sanctuary develops over the
centuries, gaining walls, monumental gateways, additional temples and a fine
(and partially lead-lined) conduit:
The small, but interesting museum at nearby Castelvetrano contains an intriguing
bronze statuette, the Selinunte ephebe, and nearby one can also visit one of
the quarries used in making the temples, the Cava di Cusa:
For more pictures of these sites, see the pages to your right: Acragas or Selinus. Also with spring break coming up, or parents visiting, if you are mot going further afield, you might want to examine some of the wonderful sites we do not have time to visit — there is a section of pages on the right side of “places you might want to visit,” including classical sites such as Monte Iato, but also Norman material in Palermo and medieval Erice.