Santa Maria dei Greci is a gem of the Agrigento old town centre including impressive works of art dating back to the 14th century. This rather interesting gothic church was built on the site of an older site, a 5th century Doric Temple dedicated to Athena. The foundations from the older site have been excavated and you can see them through a glass floor.The church was named Greek because, during the Byzantine domination, was a greek-orthodox cathedral. The current sacred building dates from the twelfth-thirteenth century and it has a simple and strict facade characterized by a Gothic style. The entrance is adorned with a remarkable ogival portal, and the interior has three naves. The church includes precious works of art and frescoes made by some of the most important local artists in the 14th century.
References:House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.