Valley of the Temples in Italy, Sicily resort
Rating: 9,8/10 (1432 votes)  The Valley of the Temples is one of the most outstanding examples of architecture and art of Magna Graecia, as well as one of the main attractions of Sicily and a national monument of Italy. the territory of the valley is the ruins of seven temples built in the Doric style. The main part of the excavations and further restoration of the temples was carried out thanks to the efforts of Domenico Antonio Lo Fazo Pietrasanta, who at the beginning of the 19th century bore the title of Duke of Serradifalco. The Tomb of Theron is also located in the valley, which is a pyramidal monument, made of tuff, dedicated to the memory of the Romans who died in the Second Punic War. The Juno Lachinia Temple was erected on an artificial elevation around 450 BC. The temple was badly damaged during a fire in 406 BC, during the Roman era, the building was completely restored. In our time, only the frieze and the front colonnade with the architrave have survived from the former splendor of the temple. Near the temple there are burials dating back to the Byzantine period. North of Lachinia is the temple of Castor and Pollux, erected in the 19th century from the ruins of ancient temples. The building consists of an entablature and four columns, which were placed on the base of the ancient temple. The Temple of Concordia, due to its excellent condition, is considered one of the most significant buildings of the Greek civilization. Inside and outside the walls of the building were covered with plaster, and the roof was covered with marble tiles. In the Byzantine era, the temple was used as a Christian church – a sacristy was built in the eastern corner, and the pagan altar was completely destroyed. The burials located around the temple date back to the Middle Ages. The Temple of Asklepius was built in the 5th century BC. in the central part of the San Gregorio plain. It is very different in size from other temples. In his sanctuary you can see a statue of Apollo, made of bronze by the Greek sculptor Myron. The Temple of Hercules is considered one of the first temples built during the reign of Theron. The building was built in the 6th century BC. Some parts of the temple are of different ages, which indicates that the construction of the temple was carried out over a long time. This temple is one of the largest in the valley. In the eastern part of the building, you can see the remains of an ancient altar. On the other side of the road, there is a valley with the Olympic field. There is a temple of Zeus and other structures on the field. Unfortunately, to our time only ruins have survived from the once majestic temple. According to historians, the destruction of the temple began in ancient times and continued until the 18th century. Also in the valley is an interesting temple of the Vulcan, dated to the 5th century BC. In 560-550, the temple was decorated with decorations that have survived to this day. In 1997, the Valley of the Temples was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. We also recommend reading Cathedral of Palermo in Italy, resort of Sicily Topic: Valley of the Temples in Italy, Sicily resort. |
