The highlight of our trip to Sicily was our visit to Agrigento, the Valley of the Temples. It is located on the southern coast of Sicily and was founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century BCE becoming one of the leading cities in the Mediterranean region.

We began our tour walking through a grove of almond trees winding our way down towards the first of several temples. We stopped beneath the almond trees and our tour guide explained the significance of Agrigento as an agricultural center and she said the name Agrigento literally translates to people of agriculture. We found numerous almonds laying on the ground and cracked open a few to sample the nuts found within. Most of them were bitter but we did come across a few that were sweet.

As we continued along we came upon the southern city walls of the Valley of the Temples, and noticed a series of openings carved into the ancient stone. The openings are Byzantine-era tombs that were excavated directly into the remains of the ancient city walls, reflecting the site's transformation into a Christian burial ground centuries after the temples were built.

We continued our way and saw this spectacular view from one’s walking vantage point. The size of the temples are impressive.

The temples were constructed from calcarenite limestone, would have been plastered to look like marble and painted in bright colors.

The Temple of Hera was constructed in the Doric order which is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of the columns. Originating in the western Doric region of Greece, it is the earliest and, in its essence, the simplest of the orders. Below we can see an example of the post and lintel system - horizontal beams (lintels) borne up by columns (posts).

Our approach to the Temple of Concordia!

The Temple of Concordia (Tempio della Concordia in Italian) is one of the finest surviving examples of ancient Greek architecture. It is the best-preserved Doric temple in Sicily and ranks among the most complete Greek temples in the world.

Over the centuries, the temple took on new roles. In the sixth century AD, it was converted into a Christian basilica under the direction of Agrigento's bishop, San Gregorio delle Rape, and dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul. To adapt the building for Christian worship, workers removed parts of the interior walls and filled the spaces between the outer columns, significantly altering its original design.

In the late eighteenth century, the Prince of Torremuzza led a major restoration effort to return the temple to its classical appearance. The Christian additions were carefully removed, revealing the elegant Greek structure that visitors admire today. The temple's remarkable state of preservation is due in part to its centuries of use as a church, which protected it from the destruction that befell many other ancient temples.