The Valley of the Temples is one of the largest archaeological complexes in the Mediterranean, an exhaustive example of Greek civilization in Sicily.

Seven temples were erected during the fifth century BC, as evidence of the prosperity of the city.

Must be mentioned the tomb of Terone too, a monument erected in memory of the fallen of the second Punic war.

The temples were burned by the Carthaginians, in 406 BC, and later (I century a.C.) restored by the Romans respecting the original Doric style.

For the construction it was used calcareous tuff found on site.

The Temples are all hexastyles (with six columns on the front side), with the exception of the Temple of Olympian Zeus which has seven semi-columns embedded in a wall that closes the whole building.

All the buildings were facing east so that in the morning sunlight could illuminate the statue of the deity present inside.

In the evening the show of illuminated temples is unmissable.

In 1997 UNESCO, not neglecting its excellent state of conservation, declared the Valley of the Temples as a "World Heritage Site".

The Valley of the Temples is open to the public every day from 8:30 to 19:00.

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