Things to do in Central & Southern Sicily
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Acropolis
The Acropolis, the heart of Selinunte's political and social life, occupies a slanted plateau overlooking the now-silted-up Gorgo di Cottone. It is crossed by two thoroughfares - one running north-south, the other east-west, dividing the acropolis into four separate sections.
Huddled in the southeastern part are five temples (A, B, C, D and O). The northernmost is Temple D, built towards the end of the 6th century BC and dedicated to either Neptune or Venus. Virtually the symbol of Selinunte, Temple C is the oldest temple on the site, built in the middle of the 6th century BC. The stunning metopes found by Harris and Angell were once a part of this formidable structure, a…
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Via Roma Cathedral
The Via Roma Cathedral has a composite style that's the result of the waves of invaders who sought to possess the mountain eyrie. In 1446 a fire destroyed the church, which was slowly rebuilt in early baroque style over the next 200 years. The curious façade (complete with 17th-century bell tower) covers its Gothic predecessor, while the rich interior is almost entirely baroque in design. The dark grey basalt columns are worth looking at for their highly ornamented bases, which are carved with a series of grotesques such as snakes with human heads.
Other points of interest are the Graeco-Roman remains (the base of the pulpit and stoup) from the Temple of Demeter; the med…
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Archaeological Park
The archaeological park is divided into two main sections. East of Via dei Templi are the most spectacular temples, the first of which is the Tempio di Ercole (Temple of Hercules), built towards the end of the 6th century BC and believed to be the oldest of the temples. Eight of its 38 columns were raised in 1924 to reveal a structure that was roughly the same size as the Parthenon. The magnificent Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concord) is the only temple to survive relatively intact. Built around 440 BC, it was transformed into a Christian church in the 6th century. The Tempio di Giunone (Temple of Juno) stands high on the edge of the ridge, a five-minute walk to the…
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Valley of the Temples
One of Sicily's premier attractions, the Unesco World Heritage-listed Valley of the Temples, is a complex of temples and old city walls that remain from the ancient city of Akragas and are reason enough to visit the Mediterranean coast of the island. The five Doric temples actually stand along a ridge, not a valley, designed to be visible from all around and a beacon for homecoming sailors.
In varying states of ruin, the temples give a tantalising glimpse of what must truly have been one of the most luxurious cities in Magna Graecia. After visiting the area, Goethe waxed lyrical: 'We shall never in our lives be able to rejoice again, after seeing such a stupendous view in…
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Temple of Demeter
To the north of the castle a small road leads quickly down to the superbly sited foundations of the Temple of Demeter (Ceres to the Romans), the goddess of fertility and agriculture. In classical times it was the centre of a massive fertility cult, and in 480 BC the tyrant Gelon built a temple here lest his plans for the capture of Syracuse be foiled by a couple of bad harvests. The temple is also supposed to have featured a statue of King Triptolemus, the only mortal to witness the rape of Demeter's daughter Persephone by the Hades, the god of the underworld. In return for spilling the beans, Demeter taught Triptolemus the secrets of agriculture, from which Enna has bene…
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Museo Archeologico
About halfway up the road from the archaeological park and towards town is the Museo Archeologico, housing a large collection of well-explained (in Italian and English) artefacts from the excavated site in a series of rooms. The last rooms hold artefacts from around the province - be sure to check out the wonderful ceramic bowls and bronze helmets.
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Temple of Olympian Zeus
Across Via dei Panoramica Templi is the entrance to the western zone, the main feature of which is the crumbled remains of the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Covering an area measuring 112m x 56m, with columns 20m high, it would have been the largest Doric temple ever built had its construction not been interrupted by the Carthaginian sack of Akragas. Ironically, the foundations for the temple had been laid by Carthaginian prisoners captured after the Battle of Himera nearly 100 years previously.
The incomplete temple was later destroyed by an earthquake. Lying flat on his back amid the rubble is a telamon, a sculpted figure of a man with arms raised, intended to support the te…
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Museo Alessi
The Museo Alessi houses the valuable contents of the cathedral's treasury. It was unfortunately closed in April 2007 due to a lack of funds, and locals and visitors are eagerly awaiting its reopening, which will happen as soon as the lacking funds are found.
The museum's collection was originally the property of Canon Giuseppe Alessi (1774-1837), who left the collection to his brother with the intention that he then donate it to the Church. Eager to make a profit, Alessi's brother sold it to the Church in 1860. Some of the pieces are stunning, such as the golden crown of the Madonna, encrusted with jewels and enamels, by Leonardo and Giuseppe Montalbano; it dates from 165…
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Hellenistic-Roman Quarter
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 later, under the Romans, Agrigentum). The regular grid is made up of main streets (plateiai) intersected at right angles by secondary streets (stenopoi), all of which were laid out towards the end of the 4th century BC.
The Romans didn't alter the layout but added their own embellishments, including mosaic floors and stuccowork. They were also responsible for adding water and heating pipes, and introduced drainage facilities for rainwater and sewage.
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Temple of Concord
The Temple of Concord (Tempio della Concordia) is the only temple to survive the unforgiving hands of time and history relatively intact. It was built around 430 BC and was converted into a Christian basilica in the 6th century; thankfully, the new tenants reinforced the main structure, giving it a better chance of surviving an earthquake. In 1748 the temple was restored to its original form.
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Chiesa di San Nicola
In the grounds of the Museo Archeologico is the 13th-century Cistercian Chiesa di San Nicola, with a fine Gothic doorway. Inside, in the second chapel on the right, you'll find a Roman sarcophagus, which bears a wonderful relief of the myth of Phaedra. Alongside it is the Oratory of Phalaris (Oratorio di Falaride), a temple dating from the 1st century BC that was converted into an oratory during the Middle Ages.
On the church's esplanade stands an ancient Odeon called the Ekklesiasterion, built in the 3rd century BC for public meetings.
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Castello di Lombardia
Jealously guarded by locals, Enna’s massive Castello di Lombardia is the most obvious physical manifestation of the inward-looking nature of Sicily’s mountain villages. It is hardly surprising given the waves of invaders who sought to possess this mountain eyrie. This history is perfectly illustrated in the hotchpotch architecture of the cathedral, a catalogue of Graeco-Roman remains, medieval walls, Gothic doors and apses, Renaissance artwork and baroque carvings.
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Vittorio
If you’ve got a car, this is one detour you absolutely shouldn’t miss. In business for over 40 years, Vittorio has earned a reputation as one of Sicily’s best seafood eateries, serving hefty portions of the freshest fish and shellfish around. Come here at sunset and dine to the sound of crashing breakers. It’s right on the beach in Porto Palo, a 15km drive east of Selinunte. Rooms are available upstairs for anyone too stuffed to drive home (single/double €60/80).
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Eastern Temples
The Eastern Temples are the most stunning of all Selinunte's ruins, crowned by the majestic Temple E. Built in the 5th century BC and reconstructed in 1958, it stands out due to its completeness. It is the first of the three temples close to the ticket office. Temple G, the northernmost temple, was built in the 6th century BC and, although never completed, was one of the largest temples in the Greek world. Today it is a massive pile of impressive rubble.
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Fontana del Rato di Prosperina
In the evenings the Piazza F Crispi is absolutely heaving with Enna's smooching teenage population, but hustle your way through the crowd to enjoy the sunset over the rust red buildings of Calascibetta. In the centre is the Fontana del Rato di Prosperina (the Fountain of the Rape of Proserpina), commemorating Enna's most enduring legend. It is actually a copy of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini's original, which is in the Galleria Borghese in Rome.
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Temple of Hercules
The temples that stand unfettered and unenclosed in the eastern zone are the most spectacular of all. The first of these is the Temple of Hercules (Tempio di Ercole), immediately inside the entrance and to the right. Its origin is uncertain but it is believed to be the oldest of the lot, dating from the end of 6 BC. Eight of its 38 columns have been raised and you can wander around the remains of the rest.
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Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Greci
The Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Greci, uphill from Piazza Lena (at the end of Via Atenea), is an 11th-century Norman church built on the site of a 5th-century-BC Greek temple. Note the remains of the wooden Norman ceiling and some Byzantine frescoes. If the church is closed, check with the custodian at Salita Santa Maria dei Greci 1, who will open the doors for you (don’t forget to tip).
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Monastero di Santo Spirito
On Via Santo Spirito, at the top of a set of winding steps north off Via Atenea, is the Cistercian Monastero di Santo Spirito (Monastery of the Holy Spirit), founded around 1290. A handsome Gothic portal leads inside, where you can see some fine stuccowork by Giacomo Serpotta plus a statue of the Madonna Incoronata (Virgin Enthroned) by Domenico Gagini.
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Temple of the Dioscuri
The Temple of the Dioscuri is also known as the Temple of Castor and Pollux. It was built towards the end of the 5th century but was destroyed by the Carthaginians, later restored in Hellenistic style and then destroyed again by an earthquake. What you see today dates from 1832, when it was rebuilt using materials from other temples.
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Il Déhors
The restaurant of the Foresteria Baglio della Luna takes its lead from the monsù cooking of the 1800s when French influences began to reach the Sicilian dinner table. The menu includes sole, lobster and meats such as pheasant, lamb and kid. There are delicious pâtés and plenty of buttery sauces. Excellent.
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Ancient City
Occupying the hill of Manuzza, to the north of the acropolis, the Ancient City, where most of Selinunte's inhabitants lived, is the least excavated of all the sites. Exploration of the area has only begun in recent years, and evidence suggests that survivors of the destruction of 409 BC may have used the city as a necropolis.
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Museo Archeologico di Palazzo Varisano
On the far side of Piazza Mazzini from the cathedral is the Museo Archeologico di Palazzo Varisano, which has a good, if small, collection of artefacts (labelled in Italian) excavated from throughout the region. Of particular interest is the Attic-style red-and-black krater (drinking vases) found in the town itself.
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Michele Gallo
An excellent English-speaking guide, Michele Gallo can organise individual and group itineraries according to travellers' interests. Itineraries can also be arranged to areas of interest around Agrigento and include literary tours, such as tracing the life and work of Luigi Pirandello, Agrigento's most famous writer.
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La Fontana
Right opposite the fountain on the little piazza, this little restaurant is run by an eccentric older couple who've decorated the place in a mixture of kitsch and art nouveau. Mostly frequented by tourists, it's friendly and the food is straightforward Sicilian fare. It has outdoor seating on the piazza in summer.
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Palazzo Pollicarini
On the southwestern side of Piazza Colaianni next to the Grande Albergo Sicilia, is the Catalan-Gothic Palazzo Pollicarini, one of Enna's most handsome buildings. Although it has been converted into private apartments, you can still nip in to take a peek at the medieval staircase in the central courtyard.
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