In ancient times, when sailors passed by Akragas, they would have been ecstatic and impressed.
In the astonishing belt of temples that embraced the city there was one temple of colossal dimensions that stood out from the rest.
The structure’s bright colours – red, white and blue – increased its immensity.
There was no doubt about it: this was the temple dedicated to Olympian Zeus, king of the gods.
If you look closely at the Akragas telamons you will notice that these huge statues were formed of several blocks of stone stacked on top of each other.
In ancient times this was not so evident: originally, you could slide your hand over these mammoth sculptures and barely feel the transition from one block to another, so precise were the sculptors’ finishing touches.
Today, on the other hand, many details have been lost, leaving the stone corroded and rounded at the edges.