Agrigento

Agrigento (Italian: [aɡriˈdʒɛnto] ; Sicilian: Girgenti [dʒɪɾˈdʒɛndɪ] or Giurgenti [dʒʊɾˈdʒɛndɪ]) 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 largest city in the province, 10th-largest in Sicily and 115th-largest in Italy. Founded around 582 BC by Greek colonists from Gela, Agrigento, then known as Akragas, was one of the leading cities during the golden age of Ancient Greece. The city flourished under Theron's leadership in the 5th century BC, marked by ambitious public works and the construction of renowned temples. Despite periods of dormancy during the Punic Wars, Agrigento emerged as one of Sicily's largest cities in the Republican era. During the Principate, Agrigento's strategic port and diverse economic ventures, including sulfur mining, trade and agriculture, sustained its importance throughout the high and late Empire. Economic prosperity persisted from the 3rd to the 4th centuries AD, but excavations indicate a decline in activity after the 7th century. Agrigento is also the birthplace of several notable personalities, including Empedocles (5th century BC), the Ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher, who was a citizen of ancient Akragas, and Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936), dramatist and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, who was born at contrada u Càvusu in Agrigento. Parts of Agrigento were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site Archaeological Area of Agrigento in 1997, and the city was named Italian capital of culture for 2025.