Founded around 582 BC byGreek colonists fromGela,[3] Agrigento, then known asAkragas, was one of the leading cities during thegolden age ofAncient Greece.[4][5][6][7][8] The city flourished underTheron's leadership in the 5th century BC, marked by ambitious public works and the construction of renowned temples.[9]
Despite periods of dormancy during thePunic Wars, Agrigento emerged as one of Sicily's largest cities in theRepublican era. During thePrincipate, Agrigento's strategic port and diverse economic ventures, includingsulfur mining, trade and agriculture, sustained its importance throughout the high andlate Empire. Economic prosperity persisted in the 3rd to 4th centuries AD, but excavations show decline in activity after the 7th century.[9]
Agrigento is also the place of birth to several notable personalities, among which it is worth to mentionEmpedocles (5th century BC), the Ancient Greekpre-Socratic philosopher, who was a citizen of ancientAkragas, andLuigi Pirandello (1867–1936), dramatist andNobel Prize winner for literature,who was born at contradau Càvusu in Agrigento.
Agrigento, included among the UNESCO world heritage sites in 1997, was named Italian capital of culture for 2025.[10]
Akragas was founded on a plateau overlooking the sea, with two nearby rivers, theHypsas and the Acragas, after which the settlement was originally named. A ridge, which offered a degree of natural fortification, links a hill to the north called Colle di Girgenti with another, called Rupe Atenea, to the east. According toThucydides, it was founded around 582–580 BC byGreek colonists fromGela in eastern Sicily, with further colonists fromCrete andRhodes. The founders (oikistai) of the new city were Aristonous and Pystilus. It was the last of the major Greek colonies in Sicily to be founded.[11]
The territory under Akragas's control expanded to comprise the whole area between thePlatani and theSalso, and reached deep into the Sicilian interior. Greek literary sources connect this expansion with military campaigns, but archaeological evidence indicates that this was a much longer-term process which reached its peak only in the early fifth century BC.[12] Most other Greek settlements in Sicily experienced similar territorial expansion in this period.[13] Excavations at a range of sites in this region inhabited by the indigenousSican people, such asMonte Sabbucina,Gibil-Gabil,Vasallaggi, San Angelo Muxano, andMussomeli, show signs of the adoption of Greek culture.[14] It is disputed how much of this expansion was carried out by violence and how much by commerce and acculturation.[14] The territorial expansion provided land for the Greek settlers to farm, nativeslaves to work these farms,[15] and control of the overland route from Acragas to the city ofHimera on the northern coast of Sicily.[16] This was the main land route from theStraits of Sicily to theTyrrhenian Sea and Acragas' control of it was a key factor in its economic prosperity in the sixth and fifth centuries BC, which became proverbial. Famously,Plato, upon seeing the living standard of the inhabitants, was said to have remarked that "they build like they intend to live forever, yet eat like this is their last day."[17] Perhaps as a result of this wealth, Acragas was one of the first communities in Sicily to begin minting its own coinage, around 520 BC.
Around 570 BC, the city came under the control ofPhalaris, a semi-legendary figure, who was remembered as the archetypaltyrant, said to have killed his enemies by burning them alive inside a bronze bull. In the ancient literary sources, he is linked with the military campaigns of territorial expansion, but this is probably anachronistic. He ruled until around 550 BC.[18][12] The political history of Acragas in the second half of the sixth century is unknown, except for the names of two leaders, Alcamenes and Alcander.[19] Acragas also expanded westwards over the course of the sixth century BC, leading to a rivalry withSelinus, the next Greek city to the west. The Selinuntines founded the city ofHeraclea Minoa at the mouth of the Platani river, halfway between the two settlements, in the mid-sixth century BC, but the Acragantines conquered it around 500 BC.[20]
Theron, a member of the Emmenid family, made himself tyrant of Acragas around 488 BC. He formed an alliance withGelon, tyrant of Gela and Syracuse. Around 483 BC, Theron invaded and conquered Himera, Acragas' neighbour to the north. The tyrant of Himera,Terillus joined his son-in-law,Anaxilas ofRhegium, and the Selinuntines in calling on theCarthaginians to come and restore Terillus to power. The Carthaginians did invade in 480 BC, the first of theGreco-Punic Wars, but they were defeated by the combined forces of Theron and Gelon at theBattle of Himera. As a result, Acragas was affirmed in its control of the central portion of Sicily, an area of around 3,500 km2.[21][22][23] A number of enormous construction projects were carried out in theValle dei Templi at this time, including theTemple of Olympian Zeus, which was one of the largest Greek temples ever built, and the construction of a massive Kolymbethra reservoir. According toDiodorus Siculus, they were built in commemoration of the Battle of Himera, using the prisoners captured in the war as slave labour. Archaeological evidence indicates that the boom in monumental construction actually began before the battle, but continued in the period after it. A major reconstruction of the city walls on a monumental scale also took place in this period.[24] Theron sent teams to compete in theOlympic games and other Panhellenic competitions in mainland Greece. Several poems byPindar andSimonides commemorated victories by Theron and other Acragantines, which provide insights into Acragantine identity and ideology at this time.[25] Greek literary sources generally praise Theron as a good tyrant, but accuse his sonThrasydaeus, who succeeded him in 472 BC, of violence and oppression. Shortly after Theron's death,Hiero I of Syracuse (brother and successor of Gelon) invaded Acragas and overthrew Thrasydaeus. The literary sources say that Acragas then became a democracy, but in practice it seems to have been dominated by the civic aristocracy.[26]
The period after the fall of the Emmenids is not well-known. Anoligarchic group called "the thousand" was in power for a few years in the mid-fifth century BC, but was overthrown – the literary tradition gives the philosopherEmpedocles a decisive role in this revolution, but some modern scholars have doubted this.[27] In 451 BC,Ducetius, leader of aSicel state opposed to the expansion of Syracuse and other Greeks into the interior of Sicily, invaded Acragantine territory and conquered an outpost called Motyum. The Syracusans defeated and captured Ducetius in 450, but subsequently allowed him to go into exile. Outraged by this comparatively light punishment, the Acragantines went to war with Syracuse. They were defeated in a battle on the Salso river, which left Syracuse the pre-eminent power in eastern Sicily. The defeat was serious enough that Acragas ceased to mint coinage for a number of years.[28]
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,[29][30] but they seem to be far too high. Jos de Waele suggests a population of 16,000–18,000 citizens,[31] while Franco de Angelis estimates a total population of around 30,000-40,000.[32]
WhenAthens undertook theSicilian Expedition against Syracuse from 415 to 413 BC, Acragas remained neutral. However, it wassacked by theCarthaginians in 406 BC. Acragas never fully recovered its former status, though it revived following the invasion ofTimoleon in the late fourth century onwards and large-scale construction took place in theHellenistic period. During the early 3rd century BC, a tyrant calledPhintias declared himself king in Akragas, also controlling a variety of other cities. His kingdom was however not long-lived.
The city was disputed between theRomans and the Carthaginians during theFirst Punic War. The Romans laidsiege 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 thefinal peace settlement gave Punic Sicily and with it Akragas to Rome. It suffered badly during theSecond Punic War (218–201 BC) when both Rome and Carthage fought to control it. The Romans eventually captured Akragas in 210 BC and renamed itAgrigentum, 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 ofApollo byMyron, housed in the Temple of Asclepius as a symbol of their alliance during theThird Punic War.[9]
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 ofRoman citizens coexisting harmoniously with theGreek populace, likely engaged in commerce linked to the port.[9]
An inscription shows that the city was promoted to the status ofcolonia bySeptimius Severus and renamed "Colonia Septimia Augusta Agrigentorum."[33]
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 theArab conquest of Carthage in AD 698.[9]
After thefall of the Western Roman Empire, the city successively passed into the hands of theVandalic Kingdom, theOstrogothic Kingdom of Italy, and then theByzantine Empire. During this period the inhabitants of Agrigentum largely abandoned the lower parts of the city and moved to the formeracropolis, at the top of the hill. The reasons for this move are unclear but were probably related to the destructive coastal raids of theSaracens and other peoples around this time. In 828 AD the Saracens captured the diminished remnant of the city; the Arabic form of its name becameكِركَنت (Kirkant) orجِرجَنت (Jirjant).
Following theNorman conquest of Sicily, the city changed its name to theNorman versionGirgenti.[34] In 1087,NormanCount Roger I established a Latin bishopric in the city.Normans built theCastello di Agrigento to control the area. The population declined during much of the medieval period but revived somewhat after the 18th century.
The first record of Jews mentioned in Agrigento is when, under the pontificate ofGregory the Great, several Jews in Agrigento were converted to Christianity. The community is mentioned in theCairo Geniza circa 1060. The Jewish presence in Agrigento did not survive theexpulsion of the Jews in 1492, as at the time the territory was under Spanish rule.[35][36]
In 1860, as in the rest of Sicily, the inhabitants supported the arrival ofGiuseppe Garibaldi during theExpedition of the Thousand (one of the most dramatic events of theUnification of Italy) which marked the end ofBourbon rule.[37][38] In 1927, Benito Mussolini through the "Decree Law n. 159, 12 July 1927",[39] introduced the currentItalianized version of theLatin name.[40] The decision remains controversial as a symbol of Fascism and the eradication of local history. Following the suggestion ofAndrea Camilleri, a Sicilian writer of Agrigentine origin, the historic city centre was renamed to the Sicilian name "Girgenti" in 2016.[41] The city suffered a number of destructive bombing raids duringWorld War II.
As of 2025, Agrigento has a population of 55,227, of whom 49.0% are male and 51.0% are female. Minors make up 14.5% of the population, and seniors make up 24.7%, compared to the Italian average of 14.9% and 24.7% respectively.[2]
As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 3,925, equal to 6.7% of the population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities areMoroccans (504),Senegalese (441),Romanians (370),Germans (300) andTunisians (249).[45]
Agrigento is a major tourist centre due to its archaeological legacy. It also serves as an agricultural centre for the surrounding region.Sulphur andpotash were mined locally fromMinoan times until the 1970s, and were exported worldwide from the nearby harbour ofPorto Empedocle (named after the philosopherEmpedocles, who lived in ancient Akragas). In 2010, theunemployment rate in Agrigento was 19.2%,[46] almost twice the national average.
In Agrigento there are three railway stations: the Agrigento Centrale station, the Agrigento Bassa station and the Tempio Vulcano station, managed by RFI. The tourist trains, organized by the FS Italiane Foundation, which run along the Temple Tourist Railway, touch all three stations: this service is active mainly in the summer months and connects the capital with the city of Porto Empedocle and the archaeological park. The ordinary railway service, however, involves only the Agrigento Centrale and Agrigento Bassa stations.[47]
In December 2023, the new railway connection between the city of temples and the "Falcone e Borsellino" airport in Palermo was inaugurated. The Trenitalia regional train begins on Monday 11 December with its first service and, at the request of the Sicilian Region, 4 new daily services are operational which connect Agrigento to the Palermo airport in approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.[48]
Ancient Akragas covers a huge area—much of which is still unexcavated today—but is exemplified by the famousValle 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 theDoric style were constructed during the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Now excavated and partially restored, they constitute some of the largest and best-preserved ancient Greek buildings outside of Greece itself. They are listed as aWorld Heritage Site.
The best-preserved of the temples are two very similar buildings traditionally attributed to the goddessesHera andConcordia (though there is no evidence for this[49]). The latter temple is remarkably intact, due to its having beenconverted into a Christian church in 597 AD. Both were constructed to aperipteralhexastyle design. The area around theTemple of Concordia was later re-used by early Christians as acatacomb, with tombs hewn out of the rocky cliffs and outcrops.[citation needed]
Tellias (Ancient Greek:Τελλίας) of Akragas, described in ancient sources as a hospitable man; when 500 horsemen were billeted with him during the winter, he gave each a tunic and cloak.[50][51]
^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.
^Fiorentini, Graziella; de Miro, Ernesto (2009).Agrigento V. Le fortificazioni. Roma: Gangemi. pp. 63–65.ISBN978-88-492-1686-8.
^Pavlou, Maria (2010). "Pindar Olympian 3: Mapping Acragas on the Periphery of the Earth".The Classical Quarterly.60 (2):313–326.doi:10.1017/S0009838810000182.S2CID170885878.
^"La popolazione di Akragas antica".Φιλίας χάριν: Miscellanea di studi classici in onore di Eugenio Manni. Roma: G. Bretschneider. 1980. pp. 747–760.ISBN978-8885007390.
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"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.ISBN9780195170474.
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.ISBN978-1-905739-28-8.
de Waele, J. A. (1971).Acragas Graeca : die historische Topographie des griechischen Akragas auf Sizilien. 's-Gravenhage: Ministerie van Cultuur, Recreatie en Maatschappelijk Werk.OCLC258143697.
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