Join this tour of Agrigento and Piazza Armerina so you can see two of Sicily’s most famous historical features: the Valley of the Temples and the Villa Romana del Casale.
Situated just outside Agrigento, the splendid Valley of the Temples archaeological park consists of 8 separate temples and various other ruins built between about 510 BC and 430 BC including: the Temple of Concordia, the Temple of Heracles, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the Temple of Hephaestos, the Temple of Demeter, and the Temple of Asclepius. Aside from the latter, found on the banks of the Akragas River, all are situated in the same area on the rocky crests south of modern-day Agrigento - not really in a valley at all.
Your second stop is Piazza Armerina, situated deep in the Sicilian hinterland, at 721 meters above sea level, this is one of Sicily’s most frequented tourist spots. This area is known for the famous Villa Romana del Casale, which was originally intended for use as a hunting lodge in the middle of the 4th Century AD by a Roman patrician but is now home to some of the best-preserved examples of Roman mosaics. These extraordinarily vivid and intricate mosaics, probably produced mostly by North African artisans, deal with a range of subjects, ranging from Homeric escapades and mythological scenes to portrayals of daily life, including the famous tableau of girls exercising in their ancient bikinis. It's a must do stop on your trip to Italy.