View source for Agrigento

{{redirect|Akragas|other uses|Akragas (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name                  = Agrigento
| native_name           = {{lang|scn|Girgenti}} / {{native name|scn|Giurgenti}}
| official_name         = Comune di Agrigento
| image_skyline         = 92100 Agrigento, Province of Agrigento, Italy - panoramio (1).jpg
| image_caption         = Agrigento skyline
| image_shield          = StemmacittàdiAgrigento.svg
| image_map             = 
| motto                 = ''Signat Agrigentum mirabilis aula gigantum''
| pushpin_label_position = right
| region                = [[Sicily]]
| province              = [[Province of Agrigento|Agrigento]] (AG)
| frazioni              = Fontanelle, Giardina Gallotti, Monserrato, Montaperto, San Leone, Villaggio La Loggia, Villaggio Mosè, Villaggio Peruzzo, [[Villaseta]]
| mayor                 = [[Francesco Miccichè (politician)|Francesco Miccichè]]
| mayor_party           = [[Independent (politician)|Ind]]
| elevation_footnotes   = 
| elevation_m           = 230
| area_footnotes        = 
| area_total_km2        = 245.32
| population_footnotes  =<ref name="population">{{cite web|title=Resident population|url=https://demo.istat.it/app/?i=POS&l=en|publisher=[[Italian National Institute of Statistics|ISTAT]]}}</ref> 
| population_as_of      = 2025
| population_total      = 55227
| population_demonyms   = Agrigentines ''or'' Girgintans<br>{{lang|it|agrigentini}} or {{native name|it|girgentini}}<br>{{native name|scn|giurgintani}}
| telephone             = 
| postalcode            = 
| istat                 = 
| saint                 = [[Gerland of Agrigento|St. Gerland (Gerlando)]]
| day                   = 25 February
| imagesize             = 
| image_alt             = 
|image_flag             = Flag of Agrigento.svg
| shield_alt            = 
| map_alt               = 
| map_caption           = 
| pushpin_map_alt       = 
| coordinates           = {{coord|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| twin1                 = 
| twin1_country         = 
| postal_code           = 92100
| area_code             = 0922
| website               = {{official website|https://www.comune.agrigento.it/}}
}}
'''Agrigento''' ({{IPA|it|aɡriˈdʒɛnto|lang|It-Agrigento.ogg}}; {{langx|scn|Girgenti}} {{IPA|scn|dʒɪɾˈdʒɛndɪ|}} or {{lang|scn|Giurgenti}} {{IPA|scn|dʒʊɾˈdʒɛndɪ|}}){{efn|{{langx|grc|Ἀκράγας|translit=Akrágas}}; {{langx|la|Agrigentum}} or {{lang|la|Acragas}}; {{langx|xpu|𐤀𐤂𐤓𐤂𐤍𐤕|ʾgrgnt}}; {{langx|ar|كركنت|Kirkant}}, or {{langx|ar|جرجنت|Jirjant|label=none}}.}} is a city on the southern coast of the autonomous island region of [[Sicily]] in [[Italy]], capital of the [[province of Agrigento]]. As of 2025, with a population of 55,227, it is also the [[List of municipalities of the Province of Agrigento|largest city in the province]], [[List of municipalities of Sicily|10th-largest in Sicily]] and [[List of cities in Italy|115th-largest in Italy]].<ref name="population" />

Founded around 582 BC by [[Greek colonisation|Greek colonists]] from [[Gela]],<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781444338386 |title=The Encyclopedia of Ancient History |date=2013-01-30 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1-4051-7935-5 |editor-last=Bagnall |editor-first=Roger S. |edition=1 |language=en |chapter=Akragas (Agrigentum) |doi=10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah16002 |editor-last2=Brodersen |editor-first2=Kai |editor-last3=Champion |editor-first3=Craige B. |editor-last4=Erskine |editor-first4=Andrew |editor-last5=Huebner |editor-first5=Sabine R. |editor-link5=Sabine R. Huebner }}</ref> Agrigento, then known as '''Akragas''', was one of the leading cities during the [[Fifth-century Athens|golden age]] of [[Ancient Greece]].<ref name="google">{{cite book |author=Hooke, N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tLMZAQAAIAAJ |title=The Roman history, from the building of Rome to the ruin of the commonwealth... New ed |date=1818 |publisher=Printed for F.C. and J. Rivington |page=17 |access-date=2014-10-10 |issue=vb. 4}}</ref><ref name="google2">{{cite book |author=Lemprière, J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rRBAAQAAMAAJ |title=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 |date=1842 |publisher=T. Allman |page=26 |access-date=2014-10-10}}</ref><ref name="google3">{{cite book |author=Royal Institution of Great Britain |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SbJMAAAAYAAJ |title=Quarterly Journal of Science, Literature, and the Arts |date=1828 |publisher=James Eastburn |page=98 |access-date=2014-10-10}}</ref><ref name="google4">{{cite book |author=Maynard, J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tu-2zmQcMVUC |title=The Light of Alexandria |date=2005 |publisher=Lulu Enterprises Incorporated |isbn=9781411653351 |page=35 |access-date=2014-10-10}}</ref><ref name="google5">{{cite book |author1=Rollin, C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LeaCAAAAIAAJ |title=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 |author2=Bell, J. |date=1870 |publisher=Harper & Brothers |page=286 |access-date=2014-10-10 |issue=vb. 1}}</ref> The city flourished under [[Theron of Acragas|Theron]]'s leadership in the 5th century BC, marked by ambitious public works and the construction of renowned temples.<ref name=":02">{{Citation |last=Pfuntner |first=Laura |title=3. The Southwestern Coast: Economic Integration, Political Privilege, and Urban Survival |date=2019-01-07 |pages=107–122 |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7560/317228-005/html |access-date=2024-02-08 |publisher=University of Texas Press |language=en |doi=10.7560/317228-005 |isbn=978-1-4773-1723-5 |s2cid=241124857|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Despite periods of dormancy during the [[Punic Wars]], Agrigento emerged as one of Sicily's largest cities in the [[Roman Republic|Republican era]]. During the [[Principate]], Agrigento's strategic port and diverse economic ventures, including [[Sulfur mining in Sicily|sulfur mining]], trade and agriculture, sustained its importance throughout the high and [[Later Roman Empire|late Empire]]. Economic prosperity persisted in the 3rd to 4th centuries AD, but excavations show decline in activity after the 7th century.<ref name=":02"/>

Agrigento is also the place of birth to several notable personalities, among which it is worth to mention [[Empedocles]] (5th century BC), the Ancient Greek [[pre-Socratic philosopher]], who was a citizen of ancient ''Akragas'', and [[Luigi Pirandello]] (1867–1936), dramatist and [[Nobel Prize]] winner for literature, who was born at contrada ''u Càvusu'' in Agrigento.

Agrigento, included among the UNESCO world heritage sites in 1997, was named Italian capital of culture for 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://parchiarcheologici.regione.sicilia.it/valle-templi/en/blog/2025/01/17/agrigento-presenta-il-calendario-di-eventi-per-il-2025-come-capitale-italiana-della-cultura/|title=Agrigento presenta il calendario di eventi per il 2025 come capitale taliana della cultura|website=parchiarcheologici.regione.sicilia.it|date=17 January 2025|language=en|accessdate=24 January 2025}}</ref>

==History==
Akragas was founded on a plateau overlooking the sea, with two nearby rivers, the [[Sant'Anna (river)|Hypsas]] 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 to [[Thucydides]], it was founded around 582–580&nbsp;BC by [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] colonists from [[Gela]] in eastern Sicily, with further colonists from [[Crete]] and [[Rhodes]]. The founders ({{lang|grc-Latn|[[Oikistes|oikistai]]}}) of the new city were Aristonous and Pystilus. It was the last of the major Greek colonies in Sicily to be founded.{{sfn|de Angelis|2016|pp=72–73}}

===Archaic period ===
The territory under Akragas's control expanded to comprise the whole area between the [[Platani (river)|Platani]] and the [[Salso]], 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.<ref name=Adornato>{{cite journal |last1=Adornato |first1=Gianfranco |title=Phalaris: Literary Myth or Historical Reality? Reassessing Archaic Akragas |journal=American Journal of Archaeology |date=2012 |volume=116 |issue=3 |pages=483–506 |doi=10.3764/aja.116.3.0483 |s2cid=190232495}}</ref> Most other Greek settlements in Sicily experienced similar territorial expansion in this period.{{sfn|de Angelis|2016|pp=94–101}} Excavations at a range of sites in this region inhabited by the indigenous [[Sicani|Sican]] people, such as [[Monte Sabbucina]], [[Gibil-Gabil]], [[Vasallaggi]], San Angelo Muxano, and [[Mussomeli]], show signs of the adoption of Greek culture.{{sfn|de Miro|1962|pp=143–144}} It is disputed how much of this expansion was carried out by violence and how much by commerce and acculturation.{{sfn|de Miro|1962|pp=143–144}} The territorial expansion provided land for the Greek settlers to farm, native [[Slavery in ancient Greece|slaves]] to work these farms,{{sfn|de Angelis|2016|pp=56–60}} and control of the overland route from Acragas to the city of [[Himera]] on the northern coast of Sicily.{{sfn|de Waele|1971|p=6}} This was the main land route from the [[Straits of Sicily]] to the [[Tyrrhenian 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."<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WwZpDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA307 |title=The Book of Greek and Roman Folktales, Legends, and Myths |date=14 February 2017 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=9781400884674}}</ref> 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 of [[Phalaris]], a semi-legendary figure, who was remembered as the archetypal [[tyrant]], 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.{{sfn|de Waele|1971|pp=68–69, 77–78}}<ref name=Adornato/> 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.{{sfn|de Waele|1971|p=166}} Acragas also expanded westwards over the course of the sixth century BC, leading to a rivalry with [[Selinus]], the next Greek city to the west. The Selinuntines founded the city of [[Heraclea 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.{{sfn|de Miro|1962|pp=144–146}}

===Emmenid period===
[[File:Akragas-Didrachme.jpg|thumb|left|Didrachm of Acragas, 490–483&nbsp;BC]]
[[Theron of Acragas|Theron]], a member of the Emmenid family, made himself tyrant of Acragas around 488 BC. He formed an alliance with [[Gelon]], 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]] of [[Rhegium]], and the Selinuntines in calling on the [[Ancient Carthage|Carthaginians]] to come and restore Terillus to power. The Carthaginians did invade in 480 BC, the first of the [[Greco-Punic Wars]], but they were defeated by the combined forces of Theron and Gelon at the [[Battle of Himera (480 BC)|Battle of Himera]]. As a result, Acragas was affirmed in its control of the central portion of Sicily, an area of around 3,500&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.{{sfn|de Waele|1971|pp=52, 109–115}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Asheri |first1=David |editor1-last=Boardman |editor1-first=John |editor2-last=Hammond |editor2-first=N. G. L. |editor3-last=Lewis |editor3-first=D. M. |editor4-last=Ostwald |editor4-first=M. |title=The Cambridge Ancient History IV |date=1988 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |pages=766–776 |edition=2 |chapter=Carthaginians and Greeks}}</ref>{{sfn|de Angelis|2016|pp=106–108}} A number of enormous construction projects were carried out in the [[Valle dei Templi]] at this time, including the [[Temple of Olympian Zeus, Agrigento|Temple of Olympian Zeus]], which was one of the largest Greek temples ever built, and the construction of a massive Kolymbethra reservoir. According to [[Diodorus 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.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fiorentini |first1=Graziella |last2=de Miro |first2=Ernesto |title=Agrigento V. Le fortificazioni. |date=2009 |publisher=Gangemi |location=Roma |isbn=978-88-492-1686-8 |pages=63–65}}</ref> Theron sent teams to compete in the [[Ancient Olympics|Olympic games]] and other Panhellenic competitions in mainland Greece. Several poems by [[Pindar]] and [[Simonides]] commemorated victories by Theron and other Acragantines, which provide insights into Acragantine identity and ideology at this time.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pavlou |first1=Maria |title=Pindar Olympian 3: Mapping Acragas on the Periphery of the Earth |journal=The Classical Quarterly |date=2010 |volume=60 |issue=2 |pages=313–326 |doi=10.1017/S0009838810000182 |s2cid=170885878}}</ref> Greek literary sources generally praise Theron as a good tyrant, but accuse his son [[Thrasydaeus]], 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.{{sfn|Westermark|2018|pp=14–15}}

===Classical and Hellenistic periods===
[[File:Akragas, tetradracma, 410 ac. ca.JPG|thumb|left|[[Tetradrachm]] of Acragas, c. 410 BC.]]
The period after the fall of the Emmenids is not well-known. An [[oligarchy|oligarchic]] 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 philosopher [[Empedocles]] a decisive role in this revolution, but some modern scholars have doubted this.{{sfn|de Angelis|2016|pp=210–211}} In 451 BC, [[Ducetius]], leader of a [[Sicel]] 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.{{sfn|Westermark|2018|pp=16–17}}

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,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=74JI2UlcU8AC&q=akragas+in+population+size&pg=PA7 |title=International Dictionary of Historic Places: Southern Europe |first1=Trudy |last1=Ring |first2=Robert M. |last2=Salkin |first3=Sharon La |last3=Boda |date=1 January 1994 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9781884964022 |access-date=19 September 2016 |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EDwDaDLjdyIC&q=akragas+in+population+size&pg=PA432 |title=A Commentary on Thucydides: Books IV-V.24 |first=Simon |last=Hornblower |date=6 January 2005 |publisher=Clarendon Press |isbn=9780199276257 |access-date=19 September 2016 |via=Google Books}}</ref> but they seem to be far too high. Jos de Waele suggests a population of 16,000–18,000 citizens,<ref>{{cite book |title=Φιλίας χάριν: Miscellanea di studi classici in onore di Eugenio Manni. |date=1980 |publisher=G. Bretschneider |location=Roma |isbn=978-8885007390 |pages=747–760 |chapter=La popolazione di Akragas antica}}</ref> while Franco de Angelis estimates a total population of around 30,000-40,000.{{sfn|de Angelis|2016|p=197}}

When [[Athens]] undertook the [[Sicilian Expedition]] against Syracuse from 415 to 413 BC, Acragas remained neutral. However, it was [[Siege of Akragas (406 BC)|sacked]] by the [[Carthage|Carthaginians]] in 406&nbsp;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 of Agrigentum|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 [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] and the Carthaginians during the [[First Punic War]]. The Romans laid [[Battle of Agrigentum|siege to the city]] in 262&nbsp;BC and captured it after defeating a Carthaginian relief force in 261&nbsp;BC and sold the population into slavery. Although the Carthaginians recaptured the city in 255&nbsp;BC the [[Treaty of Lutatius|final peace settlement]] gave Punic Sicily and with it Akragas to Rome. It suffered badly during the [[Second Punic War]] (218–201&nbsp;BC) when both Rome and Carthage fought to control it. The Romans eventually captured Akragas in 210&nbsp;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|date=September 2023}} In the 2nd century BC, [[Scipio Aemilianus|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]].<ref name=":02"/>

[[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 citizenship|Roman citizens]] coexisting harmoniously with the [[Magna Graecia|Greek populace]], likely engaged in commerce linked to the port.<ref name=":02" />

An inscription shows that the city was promoted to the status of [[Roman colony|colonia]] by [[Septimius Severus]] and renamed "Colonia Septimia Augusta Agrigentorum."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pfuntner |first1=Laura |date=2016 |title=Celebrating the Severans Commemorative Politics and the Urban Landscape in High Imperial Sicily |journal=Latomus |volume=75 |issue=2 |pages=437–438}}</ref>

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 [[Battle of Carthage (698)|Arab conquest of Carthage]] in AD 698.<ref name=":02" />

===Middle Ages===
After the [[fall of the Western Roman Empire]], the city successively passed into the hands of the [[Vandalic Kingdom]], the [[Ostrogothic Kingdom]] of Italy, and then the [[Byzantine Empire]]. During this period the inhabitants of Agrigentum largely abandoned the lower parts of the city and moved to the former [[acropolis]], at the top of the hill. The reasons for this move are unclear but were probably related to the destructive coastal raids of the [[Saracens]] and other peoples around this time. In 828&nbsp;AD the Saracens captured the diminished remnant of the city; the Arabic form of its name became {{lang|ar|كِركَنت}} ({{transliteration|ar|ALA|Kirkant}}) or {{lang|ar|جِرجَنت}} ({{transliteration|ar|ALA|Jirjant}}).

Following the [[Norman conquest of southern Italy#Conquest of Sicily, 1061–1091|Norman conquest of Sicily]], the city changed its name to the [[Norman language|Norman]] version ''Girgenti''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esplorasicilia.com/guida-turistica/agrigento/storia-di-agrigento.php |title=La Storia di Agrigento - Sicilia |first=Esplora |last=Sicilia |access-date=19 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016124714/http://www.esplorasicilia.com/guida-turistica/agrigento/storia-di-agrigento.php |archive-date=16 October 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1087, [[Italo-Normans|Norman]] [[Roger I of Sicily|Count Roger I]] established a Latin bishopric in the city. [[Italo-Normans|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.

===Jewish history===
The first record of Jews mentioned in Agrigento is when, under the pontificate of [[Gregory the Great]], several Jews in Agrigento were converted to Christianity. The community is mentioned in the [[Cairo Geniza]] circa 1060. The Jewish presence in Agrigento did not survive the [[expulsion of the Jews from Spain|expulsion of the Jews in 1492]], as at the time the territory was under Spanish rule.<ref>{{cite web |title=Agrigento, Italy |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/agrigento |website=Jewish Virtual Library |access-date=2 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Agrigento |url=https://jguideeurope.org/en/region/italy/sicily/agrigento/ |website=JGuide Europe |access-date=2 July 2024}}</ref>

===Modern period===
[[File:Panorama Agrigento.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Viaduct Akragas, opened in 1970]]
In 1860, as in the rest of Sicily, the inhabitants supported the arrival of [[Giuseppe Garibaldi]] during the [[Expedition of the Thousand]] (one of the most dramatic events of the [[Unification of Italy]]) which marked the end of [[House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies|Bourbon]] rule.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Expedition-of-the-Thousand |title=Expedition of the Thousand: Italian campaign |access-date=19 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/europe/1999/12/23/garibaldi-and-the-1000 |title=Garibaldi and the 1,000 |access-date=19 September 2016 |newspaper=The Economist}}</ref> In 1927, Benito Mussolini through the "Decree Law n. 159, 12 July 1927",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://augusto.agid.gov.it/ |title=Augusto – Automazione Gazzetta Ufficiale Storica |access-date=19 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031123801/http://augusto.agid.gov.it/ |archive-date=31 October 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> introduced the current [[Italian language|Italianized]] version of the [[Latin language|Latin]] name.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/agrigento_(Enciclopedia-Italiana)/ |title=Agrigento |encyclopedia=Enciclopedia Italiana |access-date=19 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026015409/http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/agrigento_(Enciclopedia-Italiana) |archive-date=26 October 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The decision remains controversial as a symbol of Fascism and the eradication of local history. Following the suggestion of [[Andrea Camilleri]], a Sicilian writer of Agrigentine origin, the historic city centre was renamed to the Sicilian name "Girgenti" in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.corriere.it/cronache/16_aprile_27/agrigento-ritorno-passato-sindaco-si-chiamera-girgenti-ma-solo-centro-storico-f5904060-0ca8-11e6-a4db-66a817deaada.shtml?refresh_ce-cp |title=Agrigento, ritorno al passatoIl sindaco: si chiamerà Girgenti (ma solo nel centro storico) |work=Corriere della Sera |access-date=2018-12-03 |language=it-IT}}</ref> The city suffered a number of destructive bombing raids during [[World War II]].

== Climate ==
{{Weather box
| width = auto
| metric first = y
| single line = y
| collapsed = Y
| location = Agrigento, elevation {{convert|313|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Jan record high C = 22.4
| Feb record high C = 24.2
| Mar record high C = 25.5
| Apr record high C = 29.7
| May record high C = 35.0
| Jun record high C = 37.2
| Jul record high C = 41.5
| Aug record high C = 39.6
| Sep record high C = 39.9
| Oct record high C = 32.5
| Nov record high C = 29.5
| Dec record high C = 26.5
| Jan record low C = -1.0
| Feb record low C = 0.0
| Mar record low C = 1.2
| Apr record low C = 1.7
| May record low C = 7.5
| Jun record low C = 12.1
| Jul record low C = 14.2
| Aug record low C = 15.3
| Sep record low C = 11.6
| Oct record low C = 7.1
| Nov record low C = 4.2
| Dec record low C = 0.0
| Jan high C = 14.4
| Feb high C = 14.7
| Mar high C = 16.4
| Apr high C = 18.6
| May high C = 23.1
| Jun high C = 27.1
| Jul high C = 29.9
| Aug high C = 30.0
| Sep high C = 27.0
| Oct high C = 23.3
| Nov high C = 19.1
| Dec high C = 15.7
| year high C = 
| Jan mean C = 11.0
| Feb mean C = 11.2
| Mar mean C = 12.6
| Apr mean C = 14.5
| May mean C = 18.8
| Jun mean C = 22.7
| Jul mean C = 25.4
| Aug mean C = 25.7
| Sep mean C = 22.9
| Oct mean C = 19.4
| Nov mean C = 15.5
| Dec mean C = 12.4
| year mean C = 
| Jan low C = 7.7
| Feb low C = 7.6
| Mar low C = 8.8
| Apr low C = 10.5
| May low C = 14.5
| Jun low C = 18.2
| Jul low C = 21.0
| Aug low C = 21.4
| Sep low C = 18.9
| Oct low C = 15.6
| Nov low C = 11.9
| Dec low C = 9.0
| year low C = 
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 66
| Feb precipitation mm = 56
| Mar precipitation mm = 44
| Apr precipitation mm = 37
| May precipitation mm = 20
| Jun precipitation mm = 5
| Jul precipitation mm = 2
| Aug precipitation mm = 9
| Sep precipitation mm = 38
| Oct precipitation mm = 86
| Nov precipitation mm = 64
| Dec precipitation mm = 70
| year precipitation mm = 
| source 1 = Regione Siciliana<ref name = Clim>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240421212141/http://www.sias.regione.sicilia.it/pdf/Climatologia_AG.pdf
| archive-date = 21 April 2024
| url = http://www.sias.regione.sicilia.it/pdf/Climatologia_AG.pdf
| title = CLIMATOLOGIA DELLA SICILIA
| publisher=Regione Siciliana
| access-date = 6 December 2024}}</ref>
}}

== Demographics ==
{{Historical populations|1861|17828|1871|20180|1881|21219|1901|24872|1911|26147|1921|30074|1931|28677|1936|32951|1951|40491|1961|47919|1971|49213|1981|51325|1991|55283|2001|54619|2011|58323|2021|55849|cols=1|align=right|source=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Popolazione residente dei comuni. Censimenti dal 1861 al 1991|trans-title=Resident population of the municipalities. Censuses from 1861 to 1991|url=https://ebiblio.istat.it/digibib/Censimenti%20popolazione/Censimentipopolazioneresidentedal1861/RML0050288Pop_res_cens_1861_1991.pdf|language=it|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]}}</ref><ref name="timeseries">{{cite web |title=Dashboard Permanent census of population and housing|url=https://esploradati.censimentopopolazione.istat.it/databrowser/#/en/censtest/dashboards|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]}}</ref>}}
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.<ref name="population" />

As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 3,925, equal to 6.7% of the population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities are [[Moroccans]] (504), [[Senegalese]] (441), [[Romanians]] (370), [[Germans]] (300) and [[Tunisians]] (249).<ref name="foreignborn">{{cite web |title=Resident population by sex, municipality and citizenship |url=https://demo.istat.it/app/?i=RCS&a=2024&l=en |publisher=[[Italian National Institute of Statistics|ISTAT]]}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+Foreign population by country of birth (2024)<ref name="foreignborn" />
!Country
!Population
|-
|{{flag|Morocco}}
|504
|-
|{{flag|Senegal}}
|441
|-
|{{flag|Romania}}
|370
|-
|{{flag|Germany}}
|300
|-
|{{flag|Tunisia}}
|249
|-
|{{flag|Belgium}}
|223
|-
|{{flag|Bangladesh}}
|129
|-
|{{flag|Nigeria}}
|115
|-
|{{flag|France}}
|113
|-
|{{flag|China}}
|80
|-
|{{flag|United Kingdom}}
|79
|-
|{{flag|The Gambia}}
|74
|-
|{{flag|Argentina}}
|68
|-
|{{flag|Somalia}}
|67
|-
|{{flag|Ukraine}}
|63
|}

==Government==
{{Main|List of mayors of Agrigento}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! class="unsortable" |&nbsp;
!Mayor
!Term start
!Term end
!Party
! colspan="2" |Coalition
!Election
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Christian Democracy (Italy)}};" |<small>'''(15)'''</small>
| rowspan="2" |Calogero Sodano
|20 June 1993
|30 November 1997
| rowspan="2" |[[Christian Democracy (Italy)|DC]]
[[Christian Democratic Centre|CCD]]
| style="background: {{party color|Christian Democracy (Italy)}};" |
|[[Christian Democracy (Italy)|DC]]{{*}}[[Italian Republican Party|PRI]]
|1993
|-
|30 November 1997
|26 November 2001
| style="background: {{party color|Centre-right coalition}};" |
|[[Forza Italia (1994)|FI]]{{*}}[[National Alliance (Italy)|AN]]{{*}}[[Christian Democratic Centre|CCD]]{{*}}[[United Christian Democrats|CDU]]
|1997
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Union of the Centre (2002)}};" |21
|Aldo Piazza
|26 November 2001
|28 May 2007
|[[Christian Democratic Centre|CCD]]
[[Union of the Centre (2002)|UDC]]
| style="background: {{party color|Centre-right coalition}};" |
|[[Forza Italia (1994)|FI]]{{*}}[[National Alliance (Italy)|AN]]{{*}}[[Christian Democratic Centre|CCD]]{{*}}[[United Christian Democrats|CDU]]
|2001
|-
! rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Union of Democrats for Europe}};" |22
| rowspan="2" |[[Marco Zambuto]]
|28 May 2007
|22 May 2012
| rowspan="2" |[[Union of Democrats for Europe|UDEUR]]
| style="background: {{party color|Union of Democrats for Europe}};" |
|[[Union of Democrats for Europe|UDEUR]]{{*}}[[Democrats of the Left|DS]]
|2007
|-
|22 May 2012
|13 June 2014{{efn|Resigned.}}
| style="background: {{party color|Union of the Centre (2002)}};" |
|[[Union of the Centre (2002)|UDC]]{{*}}[[Union of Democrats for Europe|UDEUR]]
|2012
|-
|–
|Luciana Giammanco
| colspan="6" |<small>''Special Prefectural Commissioner tenure (13 June 2014 – 3 June 2015)''</small>
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Union of the Centre (2002)}}" |23
|[[Lillo Firetto|Calogero Firetto]]
|3 June 2015
|21 October 2020
|[[Union of the Centre (2002)|UDC]]
| style="background: {{party color|Independent (politician)}};" |
|[[Union of the Centre (2002)|UDC]]{{*}}[[Democratic Party (Italy)|PD]]{{*}}[[New Centre-right|NCD]]
|2015
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Independent (politician)}}" |24
|[[Francesco Miccichè (politician)|Francesco Miccichè]]
|21 October 2020{{efn|Election postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.}}
|''Incumbent''
|[[Independent (politician)|Ind]]
| style="background: {{party color|Independent (politician)}};" |
|[[Independent (politician)|Ind]]
|2020
|}
[[File:Agrigento-municipio.JPG|thumb|right|Agrigento's Town Hall]]

==Economy==
Agrigento is a major tourist centre due to its archaeological legacy. It also serves as an agricultural centre for the surrounding region. [[Sulphur]] and [[potash]] were mined locally from [[Minoan civilization|Minoan]] times until the 1970s, and were exported worldwide from the nearby harbour of [[Porto Empedocle]] (named after the philosopher [[Empedocles]], who lived in ancient Akragas). In 2010, the [[unemployment rate]] in Agrigento was 19.2%,<ref>{{cite web |date=2 April 2011 |url=https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/economia/2011-04-01/agrigento-investimenti-palo-205839.shtml?uuid=AaBHtQLD |title=Agrigento, investimenti al palo |publisher=Il Sole 24 ORE |access-date=2013-03-25}}</ref> almost twice the national average.

==Infrastructure and transport==
===Railways===
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.<ref>[https://www.trenitalia.com/content/dam/tcom/allegati/trenitalia_2014/informazioni/orario_digitale/RegionaleCalabria_Sicilia_light.pdf Regional digital timetable - page 134] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724074322/https://www.trenitalia.com/content/dam/tcom/allegati/trenitalia_2014/informazioni/orario_digitale/RegionaleCalabria_Sicilia_light.pdf |date=2023-07-24 }}trenitalia.com</ref>

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.<ref>[https://palermo.mobilita.org/2023/12/11/il-nuovo-treno-agrigento-aeroporto-di-palermo-di-trenitalia/ Il nuovo treno Agrigento – Aeroporto di Palermo di Trenitalia] palermo.mobilita.org</ref>

==Main sights==
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site 
| WHS = Archaeological Area of Agrigento
| Image = Agrigento-Tempio della Concordia01.JPG
| Caption = [[Temple of Concordia]]
| Criteria = Cultural: i, ii, iii, iv
| ID = 831
| Year = 1997
| Area = 321.11 ha
| Buffer_zone = 1,866.15 ha
}}
{{main|Valle dei Templi}}

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 [[Doric 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 a [[World Heritage Site]].

The best-preserved of the temples are two very similar buildings traditionally attributed to the goddesses [[Hera]] and [[Concordia (Roman goddess)|Concordia]] (though there is no evidence for this<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.parcovalledeitempli.it/category/archeologia/ |title=Archeologia – Parco Valle dei Templi Agrigento}}</ref>). The latter temple is remarkably intact, due to its having been [[Christianization|converted into a Christian church]] in 597&nbsp;AD. Both were constructed to a [[peripteral]] [[hexastyle]] design. The area around the [[Archaeological Area of Agrigento#Temple of Concordia|Temple of Concordia]] was later re-used by early Christians as a [[catacomb]], with tombs hewn out of the rocky cliffs and outcrops.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

==Sport==
[[ASD Akragas 2018|ASD Akragas]] is the local association football club.

[[Fortitudo Agrigento]] is the local professional basketball club.

Founded in 1969, {{ill|Polisportiva Amazzoni Agrigento|it}} played in the women's volleyball Serie A1 in the 90s, before eventually folding in 2005.

==Notable people==
* [[Theron of Acragas]], winner of a chariot race and recipient of [[Pindar]]'s second and third [[Olympian Ode]]s. More notably was a [[tyrant]] of Acragas in 488 BC.
* [[Empedocles]] (5th century BC), the Ancient Greek [[pre-Socratic philosopher]], was a citizen of ancient ''Akragas''.
* Tellias ({{langx|grc|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://topostext.org/work/240#tau.272 |title=Suda Encyclopedia, tau.272}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://topostext.org/work/240#§%20al.731 |title=Suda Encyclopedia, al.731}}</ref> 
* Karkinos ({{langx|grc|Καρκίνος}}) of Akragas, a tragedian<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/kappa/394 |title=Suda, kappa, 394}}</ref>
* [[Tigellinus]] (born {{circa}} AD 10), a prefect of the [[Praetorian Guard]] and infamous associate of the Emperor [[Nero]], belonged to a family of Greek descent in Agrigento, although he may have been born in [[Scyllaceum]] in Southern Italy, where his father is supposed to have lived in exile.<ref>[https://www.livius.org/articles/person/ofonius-tigellinus/ Ofonius Tigellinus Livius.org]</ref>
*[[Faraj ben Salim]] (13th century), [[Jewish]] physician and translator for [[Charles I of Anjou]].
* [[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.
* [[Luigi Pirandello]] (1867–1936), dramatist and [[Nobel Prize]] winner for literature, was born at contrada ''u Càvusu'' in Agrigento.
* [[Giovanni Leone (geophysicist)|Giovanni Leone]] (b. 1967), an Italian geophysicist and volcanologist, was born in Agrigento.
* [[Vinnie Paz]] (born 1977), the Italian-American rapper and lyricist behind Philadelphia underground hip-hop group [[Jedi Mind Tricks]].
* [[Frankie Carbo]] (1904–1976), the Italian-American New York City Mafia soldier in the [[Lucchese crime family]] and promoter in professional [[boxing]].
* [[Larry Page]] (born 1973), co-founder of [[Google]], became an honorary citizen of Agrigento on August 4, 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/tecnologia/tlc/2017/08/04/larry-page-cittadino-onorario-agrigento_03154c74-46ad-448b-b0f1-4841e07124e3.html |title=Larry Page di Google cittadino onorario di Agrigento - Tlc |date=2017-08-04 |work=ANSA.it |access-date=2017-09-27 |language=it}}</ref>

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy}}
Agrigento is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Perm, Russia|Perm]], Russia<ref>{{cite web |title=Agrigento partecipa alle celebrazioni per il 295esimo anniversario della fondazione di Perm |url=https://www.scrivolibero.it/agrigento-partecipa-alle-celebrazioni-per-il-295esimo-anniversario-della-fondazione-di-perm/ |website=scrivolibero.it |publisher=Scrivo Libero News |language=it |date=2018-06-14 |access-date=2021-03-23}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]], United States<ref>{{cite web |title=Delegazione di Tampa in visita al Comune di Agrigento |url=https://www.comune.agrigento.it/delegazione-di-tampa-in-visita-al-comune-di-agrigento/ |website=comune.agrigento.it |publisher=Agrigento |language=it |date=2018-05-03 |access-date=2021-03-23 |archive-date=2019-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216194053/https://www.comune.agrigento.it/delegazione-di-tampa-in-visita-al-comune-di-agrigento/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Valenciennes]], France<ref>{{cite web |title=Valenciennes Les Italiens et leurs descendants sont ici chez eux |url=https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/600559/article/2019-06-18/les-italiens-et-leurs-descendants-sont-ici-chez-eux |website=lavoixdunord.fr |publisher=La Voix du Nord |language=fr |date=2019-06-18 |access-date=2021-03-23}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed>
File:Agrigento-stazione.JPG|Central train station
File:Agrigento PostOffice 009 8913.jpg|Central post office
File:"17 Säle des Museums bieten eine Übersicht über die archäologischen Funde der Umgebung" 08.jpg|Archeological Museum
File:Cattedrale di San Gerlando.jpg|The cathedral
File:Provincia Regionale Agrigento, Sicily, Italy - panoramio.jpg|[[Prefect]]ure's seat
</gallery>
<gallery mode=packed>
File:Il Giardino della Kolymbethra, Bene FAI nella Valle dei Templi di Agrigento.jpg|Kolymbethra Garden
File:92100 Agrigento, Province of Agrigento, Italy - panoramio (27).jpg|St. Peter's Church
File:Agrigento AG, Sicily, Italy - panoramio (1).jpg|Old city centre
File:Valle dei Templi, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy.jpg|''[[Valle dei Templi]]''
File:Agrigento al Tramonto.jpg|City centre
</gallery>

===Panoramic views===
<gallery mode=packed>
File:Vue d'Agrigente.jpg
File:Agrigento, Ancient and Modern.jpg
File:Agrigento - Italy (15043785071).jpg
File:View from the Valle dei Templi - Agrigento - Italy 2015.JPG
File:Agrigento realmonte.jpg
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Siege of Akragas (406 BC)]]
*[[Agrigentum inscription]]
*[[Battle of Agrigentum (456)]]
*[[List of mayors of Agrigento]]
*[[Sulfur mining in Sicily]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{citation |chapter=Acragas |title=The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature |editor1-first=M. C. |editor1-last=Howatson |editor2-first=Ian |editor2-last=Chilvers |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1996}}
* {{citation |chapter=Agrigento |title=The Columbia Encyclopædia |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2004}}
* {{citation |chapter=Agrigento |title=Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names |author-link=John Everett-Heath |first=John |last=Everett-Heath |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2005}}
* {{citation |chapter=Agrigento |title=Encyclopædia Britannica |year=2006}}
* {{cite book |last1=de Angelis |first1=Franco |title=Archaic and classical Greek Sicily : a social and economic history |date=2016 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, NY |isbn=9780195170474}}
* {{cite journal |last1=de Miro |first1=E. |title=La fondazione di Agrigento e l'ellenizzazione del territorio fra il Salso e il Platani |journal=Kokalos |date=1962 |volume=8 |pages=122–152}}
* {{cite book |last1=Richardson |first1=Alexandra |title=Passionate Patron: The Life of Alexander Hardcastle and the Greek Temples of Agrigento |date=2009 |publisher=Archaeopress |location=Oxford |isbn=978-1-905739-28-8}}
* {{cite book |last1=de Waele |first1=J. A. |title=Acragas Graeca : die historische Topographie des griechischen Akragas auf Sizilien |date=1971 |publisher=Ministerie van Cultuur, Recreatie en Maatschappelijk Werk |location='s-Gravenhage |oclc=258143697}}
* {{cite book |last1=Westermark |first1=Ulla |title=The coinage of Akragas c. 510-406 BC |date=2018 |publisher=Uppsala University |location=Uppsala |author-link=Ulla Westermark |isbn=978-91-513-0269-0 |editor-link=Ulla Westermark}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links |commonscat=Agrigento |b=no |c=Agrigento |d=Q13678 |n=no |q=no |s=no |v=no |voy=Agrigento |wikt=no}}
{{EB1911 poster|Agrigentum}}
{{EB1911 poster|Girgenti}}
*[https://www.yairkarelic.com/Albums/Sicily_agrigento/index.html Yair Karelic's photos of the Valley of the Temples]
*[https://www.lavalledeitempli.it/en/itineraries/agrigento/historical-center/ Agrigento Old Town]

{{Province of Agrigento}}
{{Archaeological sites in Sicily}}
{{Magna Graecia}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Agrigento| ]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Sicily]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the Province of Agrigento]]
[[Category:580s BC]]
[[Category:Dorian colonies in Magna Graecia]]
[[Category:Colonies of Gela]]
[[Category:6th-century BC establishments in Italy]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 6th century BC]]