Agrigento & Selinunte
The light gray skies of dawn did not bode well for our day of exploring the ancient temple precincts of Agrigento and Selinunte, but as if by magic the god of south winds, Aeolus, answered our prayers and cleared away the clouds. The architectural achievements of the ancient Greeks are best showcased in their overseas colonies that were founded during the 7th century BC along on the south coast of Sicily and we were off to visit the two best preserved sites of that era: Agrigento and Selinunte.
The only way to describe the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento is awe-inspiring. Silhouetted against the rising sun like stone centurions, the Doric columns of the Temple of Juno stand guard on the summit of the ridge where we started our visit of the ancient Greek temple sanctuary. The harmonious proportions of the perfectly preserved Temple of Concordia may have been the architectural highlight of the morning, but the ancient olive trees nestled in fields of wildflowers made the setting all the more serene. In addition, we were fortunate to encounter an exhibition of modern statuary within the confines of the Temple of Concordia (Figure A).
We spilt company shortly before lunch when half our guests boarded buses for the drive west to Selinunte, while the rest returned to the ship for a wonderful deck lunch and leisurely afternoon. After a late seaside lunch in Selinunte, those of us who opted for the full day’s excursion started our visit of the vast site of Selinunte on the eastern acropolis at Temple E (Figure B). This is the most complete monument at the site, and was probably dedicated to Goddesses Hera or Aphrodite. Surrounded by a sea of yellow marigolds and daises, its rugged sandstone columns turned a mellow golden hue in the late afternoon light.
Over the past 2000 years earthquakes and wars have reduced the other five temples at this site to mountainous piles of rubble, that stand silent witnesses of the grandeur of this ancient metropolis. The second half of our visit was spent exploring the temples, houses and massive ashlar walls of the ancient acropolis that towers some 30 meters above the two rivers that surround the city. All too soon it was time to head back to the National Geographic Explorer to enjoy our promised Sicilian feast.
