The first temples and the cult of Demeter and Persephone

The senses tell The Temple of Demeter

sight
Colour contrasts

The Temple of Demeter is located on the Rupe Atenea, the highest point of ancient Akragas. When admiring the structure from the back, you’ll take in the sight of the apse, which rests on the ancient ruins of the Greek temple, creating an unusual contrast between ancient and modern.
The place is a fusion of colours that shine in the sun: from the grey rock of the ancient temple to the yellow ochre bricks of the Church, which is juxtaposed with a bright red rocky wall. From here, when you look at the structure of the building, you are captivated by the boundless panorama that stretches from the green valley to the sea, dressed in a dazzling blue.

The lively decorations of the temple

Vegetation in the Gardens

The Akragas building sites

The Temple of Asclepius

The Temple of Hera Lacinia

Akragas in the beginning

The Temple of Demeter

The Kolymbetra Garden

The cult of Demeter and Persephone

Empedocles, the political philosopher

Phalaris, the terrible tyrant

From pagan cults to Christian worship: the Church of St. Gregory

The most beautiful city of mortals

The Temple of Concordia

The Twelve Labours of Heracles

The Sanctuary of Asclepius: a place of welcome for the sick

The Eleusinian mysteries

Reinforcement of natural ramparts

The Temple of Heracles

A monument for the victory over Carthage: the Temple of Olympian Zeus

The sanctuary of the chthonic deities

Sacrifices for the goddesses that made the fields fertile

Theron, tyrant of the arts and victories

The walls of Akragas in the fifth century BC