Inside the city
Discover Agrigento, and all of the wonderful places it has to offer: the historical center, the churches, the museums, the art exhibitions, and the Greek legacy that the Valley of the Temples is, that ages from B.C.
VALLEY OF TEMPLES
The Valley of Temples is one of the most important archeological sites of Sicily, and some would say of the world. It is very well conserved and presents exceptional features such as Doric temples dating from the Hellenic era. The Temple of Concordia became a symbol of the city over time.
“PIETRO GRIFFO” ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
The “Pietro Griffo” regional archaeological museum houses a large amount of archaeological content from the site, and is the perfect place to learn about the history of Agrigento and its territory. Visit all 17 rooms and a room of Overview.
KOLYMBETHRA GARDEN
It is an archaeological space that is known as one of the 10 most beautiful parks of Italy. It is located in a valley, in the center of the Valley of Temples. Created to store the water in anticient Akragas, today it is a heavenly fertile land managed by the FAI.
SAN NICOLAS CHURCH
This church is one of the major legacies of the Cisterian gothic style in Sicilia and represents a testimony of the Roman’s sculpture talents. Built around the XII century, it has a sober front that goes with a beautiful gothic portal.
LUIGI PIRANDELLO HOUSE MUSEUM
A few miles away from the Valley, you can find the house of Luigi Priandello, famous playwright from Agrigento that received in 1934 the Nobel prize of literature. You can visit the museum that shows manuscripts of his famous works as well as an art exhibition that belongs to the Pirandello family.
SAN GERLANDO CATHEDRAL
It is the main catholic cult place in Agrigento, with the metropolitan Mother Church of archidiocesis that bears the same name. It is dedicated to San Gerlando, Agrigento’s bishop from 1088 to 1100, today the city's saint.
MUDIA DIOCESAN MUSEUM
The museum was originally designed to become the Cathedral’s and the Episcopal See's museum. It offers an immersion in the past and a journey through the cathedral’s history. A fascinating experience and a mandatory visit for those that are passionate about history and a for any visitor of the city.
LUCCHESIANA LIBRARY
It is one of the more ancient and prestigious libraries of Sicily. It was created as the bishop's personal library at the XVIII century (Andrea Lucchesi Palli), and houses more than 45.000 theology, philosophy, history and human science books. All of them are stocked on precious shelves made of hand-crafted wooden pieces.
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
This church and the monastery of Cistercian Order (known as Bataranni) represent together an important religious combination, located in Agrigento’s historical center. It was built during the XVIII century, even if the construction started back in 1299, during the Aragon period.
HOLY SPIRIT MONASTERY
The monastery was built during the XIII century. It is a prestigious medieval infrastructure that is unique because of its architecture and monumentality. It is located in the historical center and has two floors, entirely built with local materials, that’s saying sandstones and typical mortar, ”malta bastarda”.
SANTA MARIA DEI GRECI CHURCH
I is an ancient Greek temple, turned into a Catholic Church over time. It is where the infamous greco- byzantine ceremony took place. The way it looks nowadays was edified around 1200 from the ruins of a Greek temple, dedicated to Athena and Zeus. The front wall presents a gothic Chiaramonte portal.
THE FAM GALLERY
It is a modern art gallery located in Atenea st. and takes place in an ancient pharmacy, very close to the Chiaramonte's factories, a renowned art gallery. It is a dynamic and innovative space, where the things that are missing from the big contemporary exhibitions are shown.
PIRANDELLO THEATER
Luigi Pirandello’s theater was edified around 1870 by the architect Giovan Battista Filippo Basile. It was in the first place named after queen Margareth to be renamed after the playwright Luigi Pirandello in 1946.
ART GALLERY EX COLLEGIO DEI FILIPPINI
The Former Filipini College building was built in 1703 and designed by the architect Simone Mancuso. Renovating works added some arab details to its original design. Today, it hosts temporary and permanent exhibitions. In the gallery can be found works from Giambecchina, LoJacono, Politi and Santella.
SAN LORENZO’S CHURCH
Also known as the purgatory church, it has been edified during the first half of the XVII century, with the purpose to replace a former church. The construction ended in 1761. Today it is a cultural center where exhibitions, meetings and conferences are organized. You can also see some important exhibitions of artists and architectural ones.
SAN PIETRO CHURCH
This church was built during the second part of the XVIIIth century, where an ancient church had been built in the first place. Today, it is part of “Spazio Temenos”, which represents an unique multifunctional/multicultural space.
SANCTUARY OF “ADDOLORATA" (Lady of Sorrows)
This sanctuary was built during the XVII century, and is one of the most important Marianist catholic cult places in Agrigento. It is also the original headquarter of one of the most ancient confraternity of the city, the “Our Lady of Sorrows”. One of the remarkable things and/or particularities of this building is its apse, sculpted in an excavation of the rocks that the church has been built on.
THE HOUSE MUSEUM of Sicilian carts
Raffaele La Scala, the last master wheelwright, born in 1924 in Camiso. Therefore, he developed his work by building some of the most beautiful carts of Sicily. Today you can admire his work in his beautiful Villa La Scala, and you will be guided by Marcello La Scala himself.