Vertical view of ruins in ancient temple, Agrigento, Sicily

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Tempio della Concordia

Top choice in Agrigento


One of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples in existence, the Temple of Concordia has survived almost entirely intact since it was constructed in 430 BC. It was converted into a Christian basilica in the 6th century and the main structure reinforced, giving it a better chance of surviving earthquakes. In 1748 the temple was restored to its original form and given the name it is now known by.

Another reason why it has survived while other temples have not, is that beneath the hard rock on which the temple stands is a layer of soft clay that acts as a kind of natural shock absorber, protecting it from earthquake tremors. Whether the Greek engineers knew this when they built the temple is the subject of debate, but modern scholars tend to think they did.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Agrigento attractions

1. Valley of the Temples

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Sicily's most enthralling archaeological site encompasses the ruined ancient city of Akragas, highlighted by the stunningly well-preserved Tempio della…

2. Tempio di Ercole

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The last of the temples in the eastern zone, the Tempio di Ercole is the oldest, dating from the end of the 6th century BC. Eight of its 38 columns have…

3. Tomba di Terone

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A little temple set on a high base, the Tomb of Theron dates to 75 BC, about 500 years after the death of Theron, Agrigento's Greek tyrant.

4. Tempio di Giove

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The main feature of the western zone is the crumbled ruin of the Tempio di Giove. Covering an area of 112m by 56m with columns 20m high, this would have…

5. Tempio di Hera

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The 5th-century-BC Temple of Hera is also known as the Tempio di Giunone (Temple of Juno). Though partly destroyed by an earthquake in the Middle Ages,…

6. Quartiere Ellenistico-Romano

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To the east of the Museo Archeologico is the Hellenistic-Roman Quarter, featuring a well-preserved street layout which was part of urban Akragas (and…

7. Museo Archeologico

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North of the temples, this wheelchair-accessible museum is one of Sicily's finest, with a huge collection of clearly labelled artefacts from the excavated…

8. Giardino della Kolymbetra

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In a natural cleft between walls of soft tuff (volcanic rock), the Giardino della Kolymbetra is a lush garden of olive and citrus trees interspersed with…