Il Tempio Della Concordia, Sicily

This photo of Temple of Concord is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Another important archaeological site in Agrigento, Sicily is the Il Tempio Della Concordia or Temple of Concord. Concordia in ancient Roman religion is the goddess of agreement, understanding, and marital harmony. This temple presumably is dedicated to the honor of this goddess.

I am quite fascinated with archaelogical sites. Ancient civilizations amaze me but photographs, no matter how good they are taken, can never equal the excitement of being in those sites in person. I’ve never been to any but with this virtual travel, I hope to satisfy even just a fraction of my curiosity.

As I try to research for the Temple of Concord, the intenet pages bring me to a Temple of Concord located at the Roman Forum in Rome. I am a bit confused with two temples of Concord.

In this post I will blog about the one in the Valley of Temples in Agrigento, Sicily. The Temple of Concord is the most well preserved archaoelogical site in the world and is one of the most famous structure that bear ancient Greek civilization that still exists in our time.

“When the temple was turned into a church the entrance was moved to the rear, and the rear wall of the cella had to be destroyed. The spaces between the columns were closed, while 12 arched openings were created in the cella, in order to obtain a structure with one nave and two aisles. The pagan altar was destroyed and sacristies were carved out in the eastern corners. The sepultures visible inside and outside the temple date to the High Middle Age”(en.wikipedia.org).

If ever I can go to Sicily, I will never miss this UNESCO Heritage Site.

“Valley of Temples” in Agrigento, Sicily

Agrigento is a city in the southern coast of the island of Sicily in Italy and the capital of the province with the same name. It is one of the most popular sites in Sicily as it is where we can see the “Valley of Temples”, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. This archaeological site is one of the main attractions of Sicily.

Temple of Juno Lacinia c/o Wikipedia

In the Valley of Temples, we can see ruins of several temples that flaunt the rich architecture of ancient Greece as Greeks have started to settle in Sicily around 750 BC. One of the first shrines to have risen in Agrigento is the “Temple of Hera” or also called the “Temple of Juno Lacinia”, which has been erected in 450 BC. It measures “38.15 x 16.90 m: it is in Doric style, peripteros with 6 x 13 columns, preceded by a pronaos and opisthodomos. The basement has four steps” (wikipedia).

Although at the present ruins, 30 columns remain standing but only sixteen have beams. Visiting the “Valley of Temples” in Agrigento, Sicily is definitely a spectacular experience.

Sicily: the Historic Island in the Mediterranean

One of the most famous place in Italy is the island of Sicily and one of the most important city or province in the history of Europe as it basically divides the Mediterranean into two sides: the East and the West.

Sicily has a very rich history, which dates back as far as 1,500 BC. It is a very unusual island having rich archaeology, scenery, structures, beaches, art and even folklore. The island has been a Greek colony where Saint Paul has preached. It has become a Roman province, a Norman kingdom and an Arab emirate and that would explain how diverse is the culture of its people.

Panoramic view of Palermo, capital city of Sicily from Monte Pellegrino

This is one great island that anyone would definitely enjoy visiting. With the rich prints of history on its soil and beaches, any visitor would never get bored going around.