Valley of the Temples and Villa Romana del Casale Tour from Palermo, Italy

The tour will start from one of the meeting points located in Palermo or Mondello beach area. The driver will pick you up and will start driving in direction of Piazza Armerina (approximately 2 hours and half from Palermo). Upon arrival, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the visit of the amazing Roman Villa of Casale, that belongs to the Unesco Heritage. Built in the 4th century AD, the Villa was later forgotten and only in the 20th century excavations revealed the whole building. It is the supreme example of a luxury Roman villa (about 3500 square meters of floor mosaics) and was probably the residence of a member of the upper class of the Roman Empire. The mosaics discovered here are celebrated among scholars of antiquity. The visit inside the Roman Villa will be done independently: approximately 1 hour or 1 hour and a half, depending on the number of visitors inside the Villa. Every room has information boards.

Then we will drive approximately 2 hours before reaching the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento. The walking tour of the Valley of the Temples will be done with a licensed guide. This archaeological site belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage since 1997. The visit of the Valley of the Temples covers the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Concordia, the Temple of Hercules and the Temple of Zeus. Agrigento, according to legend, was founded by Daedalus and his son Icarus after they had fled from Crete “by air”. Historically, however, its origins date back to 582 B.C. when it was founded by Rhodian-cretan colonist from the neighbouring Gela who named their city Akragas after the nearby river of that name. It rapidly increased in size, importance and military strength under Phalarides, the first tyrant, and later under Theron, who extended his sway over northern Sicily as far as Himera. Agrigento was a city of artists and illustrious personages, among whom the philosopher Empedocles. Pindar defines it as “the most beautiful of mortal cities” and, in fact, in the 5th century B.C., those famous temples, whose beauty we still admire today, were built. Later we will drive back to Palermo.