Agrigento

The province of Agrigento comprises forty-three cities and covers an area of 3,041.90 square kilometres. Agrigento, the capital city, is one of high tourism importance, boasting inestimable historical, naturalistic and archaeological attractions. Notably, it has managed to take advantage of its resources also thanks to promoting and supporting initiatives such as the Mandorlo in Fiore festival (almond blossom festival), a long-awaited event recurring every year in February in the breath-taking Valley of the Temples. The city is also renowned for being the birth-place of illustrious figures such as the Greek philosopher Empedocles and the writer Luigi Pirandello.

Agrigento boasts outstanding culinary traditions that a number of delicious dishes have rendered most famous. Among these are the pasta with ricotta and fava-beans – from a country tradition –, the pasta with sardines alla sciacchitana, the so-called pasta Tiano d’Aragona, the tortino di melanzane – an eggplant pie – and the pasta allo sfincione. Sweets are as much appreciated; noteworthy are the cucuzzata, the pumpkin jam – much used in the confectionery – and the Uova murine, a traditional sweet from Sciacca.

Founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century B.C., Agrigento became one of the leading cities in the Mediterranean world. Its supremacy and pride are demonstrated by the remains of the magnificent Doric temples that dominate the ancient town, much of which still lies intact under today's fields and orchards. Selected excavated areas throw light on the later Hellenistic and Roman town and the burial practices of its early Christian inhabitants.