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AGRIGENTO
Escorted Tours
Independent Hotel Stay
Villas and Relais
Sightseeing
Transfers
The province of Agrigento extends over a territory rich in natural resources. It is bordered by the Sicani Mountains to the north, the lower reach of the Salso river to the east and the Belice's to the west. The coast has various beautiful spots among which is the well-known "Scala dei Turchi", an amazing chalky steep wall plunging down to the sea.
History and culture Located on a plateau overlooking Sicily's southern coast, Agrigento was founded with the name of Akragas around
582 BC by a group of colonists from Gela. Akragas was renamed Agrigentum by the Romans, and Girgenti by the Saracens,
only to be christened Agrigento in 1927, but the place is the same. Agrigento was destroyed several times during
the Punic Wars, suffering particularly extensive damage during a siege by Roman forces in 261 BC. The Greek poet
Pindar (518-438 BC) described Akragas as "the most beautiful city of the mortals." Agrigento's importance
declined under the Byzantines and Saracens; the Normans, however, recognized its importance, and it was during
the Norman rule that beautiful churches were built in and around the city. Historical buildings and monuments Cathedral (XI century)
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