Agrigento
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Agrigento
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Comune di Agrigento | |
Motto: Signat Agrigentum mirabilis aula gigantum | |
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Postal code | 92100 |
Dialing code | 0922 |
Patron saint | St. Gerland (Gerlando) |
Saint day | 25 February |
Website | Official website |
Agrigento (Italian:
Founded around 582 BC by Greek colonists from Gela,[3] Agrigento, then known as Akragas, was one of the leading cities during the golden age of Ancient Greece.[4][5][6][7][8] The city flourished under Theron's leadership in the 5th century BC, marked by ambitious public works and the construction of renowned temples.[9]
Despite periods of dormancy during the Punic Wars, Agrigento emerged as one of Sicily's largest cities in the Republican era. During the Principate, Agrigento's strategic port and diverse economic ventures, including sulfur mining, trade and agriculture, sustained its importance throughout the high and late Empire. Economic prosperity persisted in the 3rd to 4th centuries AD, but excavations show decline in activity after the 7th century.[9]
History
Akragas was founded on a plateau overlooking the sea, with two nearby rivers, the
Archaic period
The territory under Akragas's control expanded to comprise the whole area between the
Around 570 BC, the city came under the control of
Emmenid period
Classical and Hellenistic periods
The period after the fall of the Emmenids is not well-known. An
Ancient sources considered Acragas to be a very large city at this time. Diodorus Siculus says that the population was 200,000 people, of which 20,000 were citizens. Diogenes Laertius put the population at an incredible 800,000. Some modern scholars have accepted Diodorus' numbers,[28][29] but they seem to be far too high. Jos de Waele suggests a population of 16,000-18,000 citizens,[30] while Franco de Angelis estimates a total population of around 30,000-40,000.[31]
When Athens undertook the Sicilian Expedition against Syracuse from 415-413 BC, Acragas remained neutral. However, it was sacked by the Carthaginians in 406 BC. Acragas never fully recovered its former status, though it revived following the invasion of Timoleon in the late fourth century onwards and large-scale construction took place in the Hellenistic period. During the early 3rd century BC, a tyrant called Phintias declared himself king in Akragas, also controlling a variety of other cities. His kingdom was however not long-lived.
Roman period
The city was disputed between the Romans and the Carthaginians during the First Punic War. The Romans laid siege to the city in 262 BC and captured it after defeating a Carthaginian relief force in 261 BC and sold the population into slavery. Although the Carthaginians recaptured the city in 255 BC the final peace settlement gave Punic Sicily and with it Akragas to Rome. It suffered badly during the Second Punic War (218–201 BC) when both Rome and Carthage fought to control it. The Romans eventually captured Akragas in 210 BC and renamed it Agrigentum, although it remained a largely Greek-speaking community for centuries thereafter. It became prosperous again under Roman rule.[citation needed] In the 2nd century BC, Scipio Africanus Minor bestowed upon the city a statue of Apollo by Myron, housed in the Temple of Asclepius as a symbol of their alliance during the Third Punic War.[32]
Cicero noted Agrigentum as a civitas decumana and socius, highlighting its loyal service in the Third Punic War. He ranked Agrigentum among Sicily's largest cities, emphasizing its pivotal port and role in Roman governance, including hosting the governor's assize circuit. Additionally, he mentioned a sizable population of Roman citizens coexisting harmoniously with the Greek populace, likely engaged in commerce linked to the port.[32]
The city's inhabitants received full Roman citizenship following the death of Julius Caesar in 44 BC.[citation needed]
An inscription shows that the city was promoted to the status of
A resilient Christian community endured into late antiquity, although archaeological evidence suggests a decline in activity after the 7th century, possibly due to disrupted trade routes following the Arab conquest of Carthage in AD 698.[32]
Middle Ages
After the
Following the Norman conquest of Sicily, the city changed its name to the Norman version Girgenti.[34] In 1087, Norman Count Roger I established a Latin bishopric in the city. Normans built the Castello di Agrigento to control the area. The population declined during much of the medieval period but revived somewhat after the 18th century.
Modern period
In 1860, as in the rest of Sicily, the inhabitants supported the arrival of
Government
Economy
Agrigento is a major tourist centre due to its extraordinarily rich archaeological legacy. It also serves as an agricultural centre for the surrounding region.
Main sights
Ancient Akragas covers a huge area—much of which is still unexcavated today—but is exemplified by the famous Valle dei Templi ("Valley of the Temples", a misnomer, as it is a ridge, rather than a valley). This comprises a large sacred area on the south side of the ancient city where seven monumental Greek temples in the
The best-preserved of the temples are two very similar buildings traditionally attributed to the goddesses
The other temples are much more fragmentary, having been toppled by earthquakes long ago and quarried for their stones. The largest by far is the
Many other Hellenistic and Roman sites can be found in and around the town. These include a pre-Hellenic cave sanctuary near a Temple of Demeter, over which the Church of San Biagio was built. A late Hellenistic funerary monument erroneously labelled the "Tomb of Theron" is situated just outside the sacred area, and a 1st-century AD
Much of present-day Agrigento is modern but it still retains a number of medieval and Baroque buildings. These include the 14th century cathedral and the 13th century Church of Santa Maria dei Greci ("St. Mary of the Greeks"), again standing on the site of an ancient Greek temple (hence the name).[citation needed] The town also has a notable archaeological museum displaying finds from the ancient city.[citation needed]
Notable people
- pre-Socratic philosopher, was a citizen of ancient Akragas.
- Tellias (
- Karkinos (Ancient Greek: Καρκίνος) of Akragas, a tragedian[44]
- Scyllaceum in Southern Italy, where his father is supposed to have lived in exile.[45]
- Paolo Girgenti (1767–1815), a painter active in Naples who served as president of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli, was born in Agrigento.
- Nobel prizewinner for literature, was born at contrada u Càvusu in Agrigento.
- Giovanni Leone (b. 1967), an Italian geophysicist and volcanologist, was born in Agrigento.
- Vinnie Paz (b. 1977), the Italian-American rapper and lyricist behind Philadelphia underground hip-hop group Jedi Mind Tricks.
- Frankie Carbo (b. 1904), the Italian-American New York City Mafia soldier in the Lucchese crime family and promoter in professional boxing.
- Larry Page (b. 1973), co-founder of Google, became an honorary citizen of Agrigento on August 4, 2017.[46]
Twin towns – sister cities
Agrigento is twinned with:
Gallery
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Central train station
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Central post office
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Archeological Museum
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The cathedral
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Prefecture's seat
Panoramic views
See also
- Siege of Akragas (406 BC)
- Agrigentum inscription
- Battle of Agrigentum (456)
- List of mayors of Agrigento
- Sulfur mining in Sicily
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ISBN 978-1-4051-7935-5.
- ^ Hooke, N. (1818). The Roman history, from the building of Rome to the ruin of the commonwealth... New ed. Printed for F.C. and J. Rivington. p. 17. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
- ^ Lemprière, J. (1842). A Classical Dictionary: Containing a Full Account of All the Proper Names Mentioned in Ancient Authors, with Tables of Coins, Weights, and Measures, in Use Among the Greeks and Romans. To which is Now Prefixed, a Chronological Table. T. Allman. p. 26. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
- ^ Royal Institution of Great Britain (1828). Quarterly Journal of Science, Literature, and the Arts. James Eastburn. p. 98. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
- ISBN 9781411653351. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
- ^ Rollin, C.; Bell, J. (1870). The ancient history of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Grecians and Macedonians: including a history of the arts and sciences of the ancients. Harper & Brothers. p. 286. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
- ^ S2CID 241124857, retrieved 2024-02-08
- ^ de Angelis 2016, pp. 72–73.
- ^ S2CID 190232495.
- ^ de Angelis 2016, pp. 94–101.
- ^ a b de Miro 1962, pp. 143–144.
- ^ de Angelis 2016, pp. 56–60.
- ^ de Waele 1971, p. 6.
- ISBN 9781400884674.
- ^ de Waele 1971, pp. 68–69, 77–78.
- ^ de Waele 1971, p. 166.
- ^ de Miro 1962, pp. 144–146.
- ^ de Waele 1971, pp. 52, 109–115.
- ^ Asheri, David (1988). "Carthaginians and Greeks". In Boardman, John; Hammond, N. G. L.; Lewis, D. M.; Ostwald, M. (eds.). The Cambridge Ancient History IV (2 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 766–776.
- ^ de Angelis 2016, pp. 106–108.
- ISBN 978-88-492-1686-8.
- S2CID 170885878.
- ^ Westermark 2018, pp. 14–15.
- ^ de Angelis 2016, pp. 210–211.
- ^ Westermark 2018, pp. 16–17.
- ISBN 9781884964022. Retrieved 19 September 2016 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 9780199276257. Retrieved 19 September 2016 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 978-8885007390.
- ^ de Angelis 2016, p. 197.
- ^ S2CID 241124857, retrieved 2024-02-08
- ^ Pfuntner, Laura (2016). "Celebrating the Severans Commemorative Politics and the Urban Landscape in High Imperial Sicily". Latomus. 75 (2): 437–438.
- ^ Sicilia, Esplora. "La Storia di Agrigento - Sicilia". Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ "Expedition of the Thousand: Italian campaign". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ "Garibaldi and the 1,000". The Economist. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ "Augusto - Automazione Gazzetta Ufficiale Storica". Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ "AGRIGENTO in "Enciclopedia Italiana"". Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ "Agrigento, ritorno al passatoIl sindaco: si chiamerà Girgenti (ma solo nel centro storico)". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ "Agrigento, investimenti al palo". Il Sole 24 ORE. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 2013-03-25.
- ^ "Archeologia – Parco Valle dei Templi Agrigento".
- ^ "Suda Encyclopedia, tau.272".
- ^ "Suda Encyclopedia, al.731".
- ^ "Suda, kappa, 394".
- ^ Ofonius Tigellinus Livius.org: [1]
- ^ "Larry Page di Google cittadino onorario di Agrigento - Tlc". ANSA.it (in Italian). 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
- ^ "Agrigento partecipa alle celebrazioni per il 295esimo anniversario della fondazione di Perm". scrivolibero.it (in Italian). Scrivo Libero News. 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
- ^ "Delegazione di Tampa in visita al Comune di Agrigento". comune.agrigento.it (in Italian). Agrigento. 2018-05-03. Archived from the original on 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
- ^ "Valenciennes Les Italiens et leurs descendants sont ici chez eux". lavoixdunord.fr (in French). La Voix du Nord. 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
Sources
- Howatson, M. C.; Chilvers, Ian, eds. (1996), "Acragas", The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature, Oxford University Press
- "Agrigento", The Columbia Encyclopædia, Columbia University Press, 2004
- Everett-Heath, John (2005), "Agrigento", Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names, Oxford University Press
- "Agrigento", Encyclopædia Britannica, 2006
- de Angelis, Franco (2016). Archaic and classical Greek Sicily : a social and economic history. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195170474.
- de Miro, E. (1962). "La fondazione di Agrigento e l'ellenizzazione del territorio fra il Salso e il Platani". Kokalos. 8: 122–152.
- Richardson, Alexandra (2009). Passionate Patron: The Life of Alexander Hardcastle and the Greek Temples of Agrigento. Oxford: Archaeopress. ISBN 978-1-905739-28-8.
- de Waele, J. A. (1971). Acragas Graeca : die historische Topographie des griechischen Akragas auf Sizilien. 's-Gravenhage: Ministerie van Cultuur, Recreatie en Maatschappelijk Werk. OCLC 258143697.
- ISBN 978-91-513-0269-0.