The area of the temple of Olympian Zeus of the archaeological park of Valley of the Temples in Agrigento it will soon shine again. This is one of the most important interventions in recent years, which will allow us to review the correct mapping of the whole sacred area, with the path that led to the most important temple, namely the one dedicated to Zeus. From March they will be open four yards, which can be visited by tourists, which will allow to give new light to the area of Doric temple. In addition to the recovery of the path, these works will also be used for musealize many exhibits of architectural decoration of the temple.
History of the temple of Olympian Zeus in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento
Unlike other temples, such as that of the Concord (in excellent condition), only the ruins of the temple of Olympian Zeus remain. The inhabitants of Akragas (old name of Agrigento) governed by Theron in 430 BC they erected it after the victory of Himera on Carthaginians. Together with Parthenon di Athens, the temple of Olympian Zeus was one of the largest Doric temples in the Mediterranean. In 1401 un earthquake which hit the island reduced it to a pile of rubble. In early eighteenth century some parts of the temple were then used to build the nearby pier Porto Empedocle. Thanks to subsequent excavations, at the end of the 20s, it was possible to save some finds and remains of four telamons (the large statues that supported the entablature). The only completely reconstructed telamon is found today in Agrigento museum, while the one lying on the temple area, is only one copy very loyal.
The new interventions that will start in the next few days will make it possible to reassemble the entablature of the temple (i.e. architrave, frieze and cornice), originally supported by 38 telamons. The parts of a museum will also be exhibited original telamon, which will be set up by one lcorten steel astra a few millimeters (vertical) and some shelves equally thin (horizontal). This telamon will finally be "raised" on the north-east part of the temple of Zeus in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. With the return of the Sicilia in yellow zone, the region has once again reopened the park to the public. From the next few weeks visitors will be able to follow live the work of the archaeologists who will dedicate themselves to this extraordinary recovery intervention, hoping that theCovid-19 emergency does not worsen and the region's color change does not force the park to be closed to the public again.
