Agrigentum

Agrigentum, known in Greek as Acragas (Akragas) and in Latin as Agrigentum, was a prominent ancient Greek city-state on the southern coast of Sicily. Founded in the early 6th century BCE by colonists from Gela, Acragas rose to become one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia, exercising influence over much of southern Sicily. The city was ruled by a succession of tyrants, including Phalaris and Theron, whose regimes sponsored large-scale temples and fortifications and helped establish its economic and cultural prestige. Acragas minted its own coins and developed a distinctive urban and architectural identity still visible in its ruins.

Its most enduring legacy lies in the Valle dei Templi, the site of monumental Doric temples set on the high ground above the modern town of Agrigento. The temples date from the 6th to the 5th centuries BCE, with the Temple of Concordia among the best-preserved Greek temples in the world. In 406 BCE the city was destroyed in a Carthaginian siege, a major blow to Greek power in Sicily. The site subsequently declined under Hellenistic and Roman rule, though the settlement continued to exist as Agrigentum under Rome.

In the modern era, the Valle dei Templi and associated ruins were recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, highlighting Acragas as a key example of ancient Greek colonization in Sicily. The ancient site lies within the present-day municipality of Agrigento.