Santa Maria dei Greci Church

Agrigento, Italy

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:

sicily.co.uk

Religious sites in Italy

Address

Via Santa Maria dei Greci 31, Agrigento, Italy

See all sites in Agrigento

Details

Founded: 14th century
Category: Religious sites in Italy

More Information

www.sicily.co.uk

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Valley of the Temples (2,6 km)
Agrigento Cathedral (0,2 km)
Favara Castle (7,3 km)
Temple of Demeter (2,7 km)

San Sebastiano Church (47,1 km)
Caltanissetta Cathedral (47,2 km)
Saint Agatha Church (47,2 km)
Naro Castle (19,2 km)
Santo Spirito Abbey (49 km)
Montechiaro Castle (17,8 km)
Castel Sant'Angelo (39,2 km)
Heraclea Minoa (27,6 km)
Siculiana Castle (14,3 km)

User Reviews

Mark Said (6 years ago)
Quaint and full of history. A must visit!

Bekim Berlajolli (6 years ago)
Fantastic building. Layers of history, including Greek temple foundations

Mr Zombie (6 years ago)
Interesting old church on the top of Agrigento. Church growth in the earth and you can see down level down your feet.

Maria Calipari (7 years ago)
A historic place. The volunteers were wonderful. Thanks for sharing this peice of history with us and keeping it clean, well preserved and rubbish free.

ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΑ ΔΟΥΚΑ (7 years ago)
In the heart of the historic center of Agrigento..a piece of art

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Following Hadrian

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.