Greek Sicily

The Greek culture have had a great influence on Sicily life, and many attestation are nowaday visible: forified buidilgs, Necropolis, Archaeological Sites, Greek Theatre, ancient ruins.

The Greek population came in Sicily around 735 BC, and founded many villages and cities: Messina, whose ancient name is Zancle, Milazzo, Imera.
Giardini Naxos maybe was the first village founded, but also Taormina was a Greek foundation.

Syracuse was one of the most important reference point, becoming the main Greek colony on the 734 BC. Today an attestation is Eurialo castle dated at V BC, the largest fortified building of Sicily.

Other places were Palazzolo Acreide LInk Attractions, Camarina and Selinunte, where today many historic attractions show their ancient origin.

Agrigento

In the south of the island was founded Agrigento, that today preserves the magnificent “Temples Valley”, maybe the greater attestation of Greek life (V BC). Today the only temple kept intact is Concord Temple.

Its ancient name was Akragas, the name of one of the two rivers near this site
Agrigento is the place were the Philosopher Empedocle was born.
Famous for its great intelligence, the most important thing we remember is a legend about its death. He was a great studious of nature, and this passion takes him the summit of Etna to study the eruptive phenomenons. For accommodation he built a refuge, known as “Philosopher Tower”. His life ended with the fall on the crater: someone said that it was an accident because the much proximity to the crater, someone else said that he felt down voluntarily, to demonstrate its immortality. Until XVIII century the ruins of this tower were visible.

Selinunte

Its archaeological site is another attestation of Greek presence is the island.
Selinunte was founded on VII BC by colonist form Megara Hyblaea.

Archaeological site of Selinunte

Here you can enjoy an amazing landscape, hard to expleain by words, in fact the Greek atmosphere is joined to the view of a splendid coast.

I suggest to see this magic show at the sunup, to see the contrast between sun light and the colour of the temples.

The site is divided in three zones
The first include three temples, dated at V BC.
The second is the Acropolis
The third include other temples. Here are the ruins of the more ancient Selinunte temple dedicated to Apollo or Eracle, dated at VI BC.

Many sicilian cities and villages preserve the Greek urban plan, consisting in streets that cross perpendicularly and in the presence of surrounding walls.

Ippodamiano of Mileto give his name to the urban plan system of Greek cities, a chessboard plan containing Agorà (the main square), Pritaneo (around the Agorà), Iekklesiasterion (a palace for ekklesia, popular assembly). One of the most famous is that one of Agrigento.

Visit Taormina, one of the first villages founded by Greek. Its Greek Theatre is the best attestation of Greek culture LInk TAormina

Also Catania has something to tell us about its Greek past (Link), but the main representative city is Syracuse (LInk), where today Greek culture is still alive thanks to the INDA, an organization about ancient Greek Drama