Travels in Italy--Agrigento (Part 1 of 2)

After visitng Palermo, Segesta and Erice, we traveled to Sicily's southern coast to visit the ancient town of Agrigento.

Agirgento was settled about 580 B.C. by Greeks from nearby Gela.  They located the town atop a hill near the Mediterranean and two rivers.  The land in the region is very fertile. 

Agrigento viewed from a nearby valley

Over the centuries, Agrigento, like most ancient settlements in Sicily, was controlled by successive visitors from across the sea--Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Goths, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and so on. 

We enjoyed a walking tour of Agrigento and took a few photos. 

Agrigento is a picturesque town. The oldest buildings are built with local stone that has a warm orange hue.   

We visited the Church of St. Francis.  The existing church dates from the 1300's.  It is decorated in the Baroque style and was restored after being partially damaged during a WWII bombing raid. 

Agrigento was the home of writer and Nobel laureate Luigi Pirandello.

Sitting on a high plateau, the towns has wonderful views of nearby farms and the sea. 

We capped our visit with a visit to a local gelateria and enjoyed a Sicilian specialty.  Instead of gelato in a cup or cone, we enjoyed gelato in a soft bun--brioche con gelato.

Next Up:  Going down into the valley.

P.S.  Along the road to Agrigento and elsewhere in Italy, we saw many wind turbines spinning and generating electricity, like the one pictured below.  Italy long ago voted against nuclear power and therefore imports electricity from France, imports fuel for electric plants and operates wind turbines and solar electric panels.  The wind turbines, usually in groups of about 5, dot Sicily's rural landscape perched on high hills and ridges.  Who knew?

A wind turbine near Agrigento, Sicily.  That bird better watch out.