The temple of Concordia is a Greek temple of the ancient city of Akragas located in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, the capital of the eponymous province on the Italian island of Sicily.
The main architectural object of the Archaeological Park of Agrigento is the Temple of Concordia – the best preserved monument in all of Magna Graecia. The temple was built in the early part of the classical period around 450-430 BC The name used for it comes from Tommaso Fazello, who in the 16th century discovered a Roman-style Latin script near it.
The temple building represents the Doric style and has 6 × 13 columns in its original style. The height of the temple is about 13.5 meters and the height of the pillars is about 6.8 meters. The columns consist of four column drums with 20 vertical grooves. The size of the temple stylobate is about 16.9 × 39.4 meters. The entire column, end triangles and entablement all the way to the corners are still upright.
Inside the temple there has been a naos, or Cella, measuring about 9.7 × 27.4 meters, and a pronaos and opisthodomos ( the rear room of an ancient Greek temple or the inner shrine ) , each with two pillars in front. However, the internal structures have been transformed into a church: the back wall between the naos and the opisthodomos has been removed and arches have been made in the side walls.
The temple building has been exceptionally well preserved in modern times since it was converted into a church in the 5th century. This makes it one of the best preserved Greek temples alongside the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens and the Temples of Paestum.
Access : Coordinates: 37.289722, 13.592222 / By rail : You can get to Agrigento by rail, including from Palermo. / By car : Agrigento is an important junction in southern Sicily.
Highlights :
- The temple is conventionally named after Concordia, the Roman goddess of harmony, because a Latin-era inscription was found nearby that is not related to it.
- Astronomical alignment : Like almost all Greek temples, the Temple of Concord is aligned following the east-west direction. Studies have been conducted on its alignment with the sunrise during the spring equinox.
- The Valley of the Temples : Among the blossoming almonds lie the ruins of the majestic buildings erected by the ancient Greek colonists. This is the largest monumental complex of the whole “Magna Graecia”, included in 1997 in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- According to a 2007 article, “this is the best-preserved Doric temple except the Parthenon.”
- Part of the valley with the ruins of the Temple of Zeus closes at 19.00, but the other half with the temples of Concord, Juno and Hercules is open at night.
Go next : Explore the Valley of the Temples , with the majestic Doric temples , part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
