Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
delle Divine Chthoniche
OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(Sanctuary of the Chthonic Deities)
. In a natural cleft
10am-6pm Apr-Jun, 10am-7pm Jul-Sep)
, a lush garden with more than 300 (labelled) species of
plants and some welcome picnic tables. It's a steep climb down to the garden, best
avoided if you've got dicky knees.
Museo Archeologico
MUSEUM
( 092 24 01 11; Contrada San Nicola; admission incl Valley of the Temples adult/reduced €13.50/7; 9am-7pm
Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun & Mon)
North of the temples, this wheelchair-accessible museum is one
of Sicily's finest, with a huge collection of clearly labelled artefacts from the excavated
site. Noteworthy are the dazzling displays of Greek painted ceramics and the awe-inspir-
ing reconstructed
telamone
, a colossal statue recovered from the nearby Tempio di Giove.
Cathedral
(Via Duomo; 9.30am-12.30pm & 4-6pm)
The city's magnificent and striking 11th-century
cathedral has been much altered over the centuries. It boasts a wonderful Norman ceiling
and a mysterious letter from the Devil.
Old Nick is reputed to have tried to seduce the Virgin of Agrigento by writing to her
promising her all the treasure in the world. The Virgin was having none of it, though, and
she dobbed him in to the priest, who still holds this mysterious missive.
CATHEDRAL
Chiesa di Santa Maria
dei Greci
(Salita Santa Maria dei Greci; 9am-12.30pm & 4-6pm Mon-Sat)
Downhill from the cathedral, this
small church stands on the site of a 5th-century Doric temple dedicated to Athena. Inside
are some badly damaged Byzantine frescoes and the remains of the original Norman ceil-
ing.
CHURCH
Monastero di Santo Spirito
CONVENT
Back towards Piazzale Aldo Moro, at the top of a set of steps off Via Atenea, is the
Monastero di Santo Spirito, founded by Cistercian nuns around 1290. A handsome Gothic
