Central Sicily - Sicily - page 463

welcomed back to its rightful home in central Sicily the long-lost Dea di Morgantina, an
ancient statue of Venus. For over two decades the statue had been on display at the Getty
Museum in Los Angeles, California, but when authorities discovered that the statue had
been smuggled out of Italy with help from grave robbers the Italian government initiated
moves to repatriate it.
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Morgantina
At the end of a paved track, 4km downhill from Aidone, are the noteworthy remains of
Morgantina (adult/reduced €6/3; 9am-1hr before sunset) , an ancient Greek settlement spread across
two hills and the connecting valley. Morgeti, an early Sicilian settlement, was founded in
850 BC on Cittadella hill, but this town was destroyed in 459 BC and a new one was built
on a second hill, Serra Orlando. It was an important trading post during the reign of the
Syracusan tyrant Hieron II (269-215 BC) but slipped into decline after defeat by the Ro-
mans in 211 BC and was eventually abandoned. In 1955 archaeologists identified the site
and began its excavation, which continues to this day.
The centre of town is the two-storey agora (marketplace), the trapezoidal stairway of
which was used as seating during public meetings. The upper level had a market and you
can still see the walls that divided one shop from the next. The lower level was the site of
the 1000-capacity theatre , which was originally built in the 3rd century BC but later
altered by the Romans. It remains in excellent condition.
To the northeast are the city's residential quarters , where the town's well-off lived, as testi-
fied by the ornate wall decorations and handsome mosaics in the inner rooms. Another
residential quarter has been found behind the theatre and its considerable ruins are well
worth checking out.
To get to the site you'll need your own transport as no buses stop nearby.