The Valley of the Temples

The Valley of the Temples is an archaeological area of ​​Sicily characterized by an exceptional state of conservation and a series of Doric temples. It corresponds to the ancient monumental “Akragas” original nucleus of the city. The entire area has been included in the UNESCO heritage list and is considered a sought-after tourist destination as well as being the symbol of the city and one of the main ones on the island. The archaeological park of the Valley of the Temples, with its 1300 hectares, is the largest archaeological site in the world.

History

The city was founded by some inhabitants of Gela, with the name of Ἀκράγας (Akragas), from the homonymous river that bathes the territory. It was one of the main cities of the ancient world, an important urban center both economically and politically. The settlement was protected by a defensive system, consisting of a circuit of walls that exploited the topographical characteristics of the place. Akragas’s military expansionism had particular impetus at the time of the tyrant Theron and the victory over the Carthaginians. The sacking by the Carthaginians was followed by a period of decline of the city, which in any case was rebuilt.

The Temples

The Valley of the Temples is characterized by the remains of twelve temples in Doric order, three sanctuaries, a large concentration of necropolis, hydraulic works, fortifications and two important meeting places: the lower Agora and the upper Agora, an Olympeion and a Bouleuterion (council chamber). The valley of the Temples also hosts the so-called tomb of Terone, a monument of considerable size in the shape of a pyramid which is thought to have been erected to commemorate the fallen of the Second Punic War.

Other monuments

On the western side of the city are the remains of Gates VI and VII, further north are the remains of Gates VIII and IX and to the west the remains of Gate V. At the west end of the area on which the Temple of Concord stands , in the garden of Villa Aurea there is a part of the late ancient and early medieval necropolis. Two notable hypogea, one to the west of the entrance. Other pit tombs can be seen on the Via dei Templi, with a central road leading to the so-called Fragapane caves, one of the most notable examples of catacombs in Sicily. On the corridor and roundabouts there are burial niches and cubicles, while other ambulatories lead to more or less regular lateral sectors, with burials in niches, pits and sarcophagi. These necropolises are the natural extension of a vast Hellenistic-Roman necropolis, called Giambertoni.

The archaeological area among the most beautiful in Italy today is characterized by an excellent state of conservation and is a regional archaeological park, the first in the country to have a sustainability report, which certifies not only its social and cultural commitment but also its commitment to the environment.

Timetables

Open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:00; from 15:00 to 19:00 Entrance to Juno’s ticket office

Tickets

FULL € 10.00 • REDUCED € 5.00

Users are informed that tickets will be put on sale gradually and it will be possible to purchase for the same day and the next day

Limited access. Reservation recommended ONLY VALLE DEI TEMPLI

* The reduced ticket is valid for citizens aged between 18 and 25 of the European community

FULL € 13.50 • REDUCED € 7.00

Users are informed that tickets will be put on sale gradually and it will be possible to purchase for the same day and the next day

Restricted access. Reservation recommended

COMBINED REGIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM “PIETRO GRIFFO” AND VALLE DEI TEMPLI (VALID 3 DAYS FROM FIRST USE ** | ALLOWS ONLY ONE ENTRANCE TO THE VALLEY AND ONE TO THE MUSEUM)

* The reduced ticket is valid for citizens aged between 18 and 25 of the European community
** In consideration of the closure of the Park on Saturdays and Sundays, the combined Valley and Museum tickets (valid for three days) with admission on Friday will also allow visits on the following Tuesday.

FULL € 15.00 • REDUCED € 9

Users are informed that tickets will be put on sale gradually and it will be possible to purchase for the same day and the next day

Restricted access. Reservation recommended

COMBINED GARDEN OF KOLYMBETHRA ** AND VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES (ALLOWS ONE ENTRANCE TO THE VALLEY AND ONE TO THE GARDEN DURING THE ISSUE DAY)

* The reduced ticket is valid for citizens aged between 18 and 25 of the European community

** The Kolymbethra Garden does not adhere to the “Domenica Al Museo” initiative, therefore the ticket is not free on the first Sunday of the month.

The combined ticket Valley of the Temples + Garden of the Kolymbethra is suspended on Easter Monday, April 25th and May 1st.

Exclusive access to the Kolymbethra Garden is not allowed, as it is mandatory to pass through the ticket offices of the Valley of the Temples.

FREE

Restricted access. Reservation recommended

Users are informed that tickets will be put on sale gradually and it will be possible to purchase for the same day and the next day

In compliance with the ordinance “Additional urgent measures in the field of containment and management of the epidemiological emergency from COVID-19”, the suspension, until further notice, of free access on the first Sunday of each month to places of culture.

Free admission is allowed, by showing the ticket office staff a document certifying one of the following conditions:

• Visitors under the age of 18 from the European Community and non-EU visitors, visitors under the age of twelve must be accompanied by an adult
• Handicapped persons and a family member or other accompanying person who proves his / her membership in social and health assistance services (Ministerial Decree no. 239 of 20 April 2006)
• Tourist guides of the European Union in the exercise of their professional activity by showing a valid license issued by the competent authority
• Tourist interpreters of the European Union in the exercise of their professional activity by showing a valid license issued by the competent authority
• Permanent staff of the Regional Department of Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity of the Sicilian Region;
  Members of the ICOM. (International Council of Museums)
• Groups or groups of students from public and private schools of the European Union upon reservation and in the quota established by the Manager in charge of the Park
• Students of advanced training courses at the Ministry Schools (Central Institute for Restoration, Opificio delle Pietre Dure, School for Mosaic Restoration) and courses at the Regional Center for Design and Restoration
• Teachers and students enrolled in academies of fine arts or corresponding institutions in the European Union, by showing the certificate of enrollment for the current academic year
• Teachers and students of bachelor’s, master’s or post-graduate courses and research doctorates from the following faculties: architecture, conservation of cultural heritage, educational sciences or literature and philosophy with an archaeological or historical-artistic focus. The same concessions are allowed to teachers and students of faculties or corresponding courses, established in the states of the European Union. Free admission is allowed to students upon presentation of the enrollment certificate for the current academic year, to teachers upon presentation of a suitable document
• Journalists in good standing with the payment of membership fees, by showing a suitable document proving their professional activity;
  Teaching staff of the permanent school or with a fixed-term contract upon presentation of suitable certification issued by the educational institutions
• Teachers from the European community with permanent positions in state schools
• Operators of voluntary associations who operate at the offices through agreements with the Department of Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity
• Honorary Inspectors of Cultural Heritage in Sicily
• Military personnel of the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit
• Members of the I.C.C.R.O.M. (International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property)

* To Italian or foreign scholars for study or research reasons certified by Italian or foreign scholastic or university institutions, academies, research and cultural institutes, as well as by bodies of the Department or for particular and justified needs the Manager responsible for the Parco can issue annual permits for free admission to individuals.

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