Agrigento: Temples and Traces of Pirandello

The Valley of the Temples and the ancient city

The Archaeological Area of Agrigento preserves the site of a Greek colony founded in the 6th century BC. The Valley of the Temples includes the main Doric temples on the sacred hill of the ancient city and extends to the necropolis outside the city walls. The temples and the burial ground outside the walls are therefore distinct parts of this historic landscape.

Those interested in ancient history can look beyond individual buildings to the layout of the site: the sacred hill with its Doric temples and the necropolis mark different areas of the former city. The Pietro Griffo Regional Archaeological Museum adds to this impression with its archaeological finds. In August 2026, the museum displayed 5,688 exhibits, arranged chronologically and topographically. They illustrate the history of the area from prehistoric times to the end of the Greco-Roman period. The number may change as a result of later cataloguing or display changes.

Pirandello, theatre, and collections

The Casa Museo Pirandello displays personal belongings, photographs, awards, reviews, letters, manuscripts, first editions with handwritten dedications, and posters relating to Luigi Pirandello's well-known works. Guided literary tours also depart from the Casa Museo, visiting places, landscapes, events, and people connected with his life and work. Check the availability of these tours before your trip.

Pirandello's birthplace is in the rural Contrada “Caos” on the cliff-lined coast between the municipal areas of Agrigento and Porto Empedocle; it is listed as 4 km from the municipal area of Agrigento. The birthplace is a point of interest in its own right, associated with Pirandello. The Casa Museo, meanwhile, offers access to personal belongings and materials related to his work through its collection.

The Teatro Pirandello is also part of the town's cultural history: it opened to the public in 1880. The ceiling and the fronts of the boxes feature decoration created by well-known 19th-century painters. Four Hellenistic-Roman sarcophagi are displayed in the cathedral's exhibition rooms as part of the Arkeo&Fede project. The presentation may change.

The Giardino della Kolymbethra

The Giardino della Kolymbethra is a FAI cultural site open to the public in the Parco Valle dei Templi, in the area of the Temple of the Dioscuri in Agrigento. The garden combines a visit to the archaeological landscape with a closer look at this part of the park. A 40-minute guided tour of the hypogea is also available for small groups of six people. It includes an introduction, preparation and equipment, and an approximately 20-minute tour inside the hypogeum with staff from the Associazione Agrigento Sotterranea. Check whether this tour is available before your trip.

One way to reach the Giardino della Kolymbethra is to take a train from Palermo or Caltanissetta to Agrigento, then a bus to Valle dei Templi. Local buses also run from the Piazzale Rosselli bus station. As transport connections may change, check your route before departure.

Nature in the province of Agrigento

The Torre Salsa Nature Reserve is a guided nature reserve in Siculiana, in the province of Agrigento, and covers 761.62 hectares. Narrow paths lead through vegetation and rocks to a beach with well-preserved coastal dune vegetation. The beaches and coastal dunes are nesting grounds for the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta. At the Pantano, you may spot the endemic Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris; sightings depend on the season and are not guaranteed.

Another regional point of interest is the Itinerarium Rosaliae, which begins at the Eremo di Santo Stefano di Quisquina in the province of Agrigento. The route, about 187 kilometres long, crosses the Parco dei Monti Sicani, nature reserves, and other natural areas, passing through 15 municipalities. It can be travelled on foot, by bicycle, or on horseback, following royal survey routes, mule tracks, hiking trails, and disused railway lines. Trail conditions may change; check them before setting out.

A local speciality

Cafés and pastry shops in Agrigento serve gelato pecorino, a delicate ice cream made with sheep's milk ricotta and a typical speciality of the Agrigento area. If you want to include local food culture in your trip, this ice cream is a distinctive treat to try. Availability varies by establishment.

Discover more destinations: Raffadali, Ribera, Sciacca, Siculiana, Casteltermini, Bivona, Canicattì, San Leone, Siculiana Marina, Cianciana, Santa Margherita Di Belice, Favara, Montevago, Campobello Di Licata, Alessandria Della Rocca, Sambuca Di Sicilia, Aragona, Palma Di Montechiaro, Borgo Bonsignore, Racalmuto, Montallegro, Castrofilippo, Caltabellotta, Borsellino, Montaperto, Cammarata, Villaggio Mosè, Santo Stefano Quisquina, Naro, Cattolica Eraclea, Lampedusa, Fiumenaro, Sant'anna, Villaggio Pirandello, Burgio, Villaseta, Sant'angelo Muxaro, Ravanusa, Joppolo Giancaxio, Grotte, Località Maragani, Lampedusa e Linosa, Licata, Menfi, Zingarello, San Biagio Platani, Contrada Fiori Sud, Torre di Gaffe, Eraclea Minoa, Lucca Sicula, Agrigento, Porto Empedocle, Porto Palo Di Menfi and Realmonte.

For the broader travel overview: Sicily.