Agrigento Location Guide

Proud of its Greek heritage, and home to the spectacular Valley of the Temples, Agrigento is one of Sicily's highlights and should be on every visitor's 'must see' list. Virgil, in his third book of Aeneid, spoke admiringly of Akagras (Agrigento's original name) recalling how Aeneas saw in the distance 'its amazing walls' which still stand at around 12 km long.

Alongside its Greek influences, Agrigento has a diverse mix of architectural styles including Arabian courtyards and Roman Gothic churches all set alongside Sicily's transparent waters. Birthplace of the Nobel Prize winning writer Pirandello, Agrigento and its wider province, are steeped in literary history. Other notable residents include Leonardo Sciascia, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and more recently, Andrea Camilleri.

10 Things to See and Do
Greek Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples
Cathedral of St Gerlando
Monastry of Santo Spirito
Piazza Municipio with its 17th century buildings
Excursion to Caos: visit Pirandello's house
Via Atenea and its 7th and 8th century churches
A trip to the islands of Linosa and Lampedusa
Watch the miniature mud Volcanoes at Macalube di Aragona
Recharge your batteries swimming in the crystal waters of the Torre Salsa reserve
Walk along the beach at San Leone

Events in Agrigento
February
During early February, the almond trees in the Valley of Temples are covered with a sea of white flowers, celebrated by the Almond Blossom Festival, the most important event in Agrigento's calendar. The arrival of Spring is celebrated by concerts, dance and music, and also features the International Folklore Festival which attracts groups from around the world to showcase their dance and music traditions. Celebrations include a torchlight procession and the presentation of the 'Gold Temple Award' to the best act of the festival.
September and October
In autumn, it is time for the 'Golden Efebo Awards Ceremony', an international cinema and literature festival, which celebrates the best film adaptations. The prize is awarded by the Centre for Fiction and Cinema, who have donated a public library in the town featuring at least 4000 titles on the theme of literary cinema and drama.

Local Food and Drink
Cuddiruni con le zarche e Sosizza cu 'u cìmulu
Made from a local recipe, 'Cuddiruni' is a dish made from focaccia bread filled with vegetables and served hot, or you could try a local pizza variety made with zarche (a type of vegetable), potatoes and onions. Another tasty choice is sausage flavoured with fennel seeds, held together with palm tree fibres.
Chardonnay
It was the Greek colonies that started to produce wine in Sicily and the province of Agrigento makes some of the most famous and admired on the island. Eastern Sicily above all cultivates white wine grapes, of which Chardonnay di Menfi is the perfect choice to enjoy with a plate of pasta flavoured with a fish based dressing.

Spotlight on the Pirandello House
Agrigento is a truly special place for those passionate about literature and is the birth place, and the resting place, of the Italian writer Pirandello. It is easy to lose yourself in this enchanting landscape high on a plateau with a sheer drop down to the sea, surrounded by oak and olive trees.
Pirandello famously said: I’m the son of Chaos and not allegorically but really, because I was born in the countryside, near a wood called, in dialect by the people living in Girgenti, Càvusu”.
In this case he was speaking about his rural home which was built in the late 700s near Agrigento which at that time was called Girgenti. 'Càvusu' is the dialetic form of 'chaos' in Greek.
Designated a national monument in 1949, the Pirandello House is dedicated to the writer's life. Open to visitors, inside there is his entire collection of photographs, autographed first editions of his books, paintings, and posters advertising his national and international public appearances. A few feet away from the house is the famous pine tree under which the writer's ashes are buried.

How to get there
Agrigento is in the south western part of Sicily, 3km from the sea facing Tunisia. You can travel most of the way by motorway but then you need to take small local roads to finish your journey.
By Air: Agrigento is equally placed between Palermo and Catania airports, a journey of around 2.5 hours from each. Budget airlines Easyjet, Windjet and Ryanair are among several budget airlines with routes into Sicily from around Europe.
By car
Strada Statale 121:
From Palermo take the SS 121 towards Agrigento.
Autostrada A29:From Palermo, take the A 29 towards Trapani, exit at Castelvetrano e follow the SS 115 towards Agrigento.
Autostrada A19:From Catania take the motorway A 19 towards Palermo, exit at Caltanissetta and follow the SS 640 for Agrigento.
By boat: The main port near to Agrigento is Porto Empedocle, about quarter of an hour from Agrigento, from where you can also reach the islands of Pelagie, Lampedusa and Linosa.
By bus: Agrigento is reachable by bus from the airports of Catania and Palermo and from all of Sicily. There are also connections from Rome, Naples and Salerno.