Today we made the trip down to the southern coast of Sicily to Agrigento. With spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea, Agrigento is home to the Valley of the Temples. What is considered by many historians and archeologists as the home of some of the most well preserved Greek temples in the world, Agrigento has become a very popular tourist destination. The history of Agrigento is very interesting. The Valley of the Temples is at the highest point of Agrigento and is surrounded by ancient walls that were used to fight invaders. The temples are positioned in a way which the ancient town was between and below them. What was once the ancient town now stand olive and almond trees which creates a very scenic landscape.
One of the biggest disappointments of Agrigento was that there were too many modern aspects in what is supposed to be a glorious shrine to the ancient world. On the pathways between the temples there were modern art exhibits that totally ruined the ancient feel. Part of the town of Agrigento has also suffered the same fate. Alessandra Stanley describes the practice of abusivismo in her article in the New York Times. Abusivismo is the Italian term for illegally constructed housing which has plagued Agrigento dating back to the 1960's when the Mafia were responsible for such practices. Locals protest the illegal construction and wonder why the illegitimate buildings are allowed to stay standing. Some locals are outraged that such a beautiful setting is being ruined by criminal activity but also some have gotten used to it. I can see the justification of both sides however what makes the situation worse is that the construction of these buildings are illegal. Even a little element such as the modern art ruins the spectacular views and feel of the temples and if I knew some of the buildings surrounding were illegal, I am sure it would have ruined it a little more.
Reference: Stanley, Alessandra. "Agrigento Journal; In Juno's Shadow, Temples of Illegal Construction." New York Times 25 Nov. 2000: 4.
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| Group shot at the Valley of the Temples |
Mike, that absolutely drove me crazy to see all of those modern statues around the temples. I was so happy, I was so excited to be so close to something I had studied for so long and then have this bronze obstruction in my photos and memory. It drove me nuts!! And of course, you know, the bus ride was a story in itself. But I'm SO glad we got to see the ancient temples because we didn't see anything like that in Taormina. Even the teatro greco was modernized :( . I miss it all so much though.
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