Agrigentum, Sicilia – Part V (Addendum III)

Continued From Agrigentum, Sicilia Part IV At the very west end of the archaeological park, near the Temple of the Dioscouri, is the entrance to the Giardino della Kolymbethra, a valley located along the north side of the archaeological area. I didn’t visit this on the 2017 trip because I thought having a separate additional…

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Agrigentum, Sicilia – Part IV (Addendum II)

Continued From Agrigentum, Sicilia Part III The next few points for the Agrigentum addendum are within the main Parco Valle dei Templi archaeological area or very closely associated with it. The main entrance is conveniently just half a kilometer south down the Strada Provinciale 4 from the Casa San Filippo parking lot. The park is…

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Agrigentum, Sicilia – Part III (Addendum I)

Continued From Agrigentum, Sicilia Part II The first time I visited Agrigento in June 2017, I was just a few months on from officially starting this project. It was one of the first sites I visited after I had actually started working this. Though I had gone into summer 2016 travels with the idea, I…

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Beneventum, Samnium – Part III

Continued From Beneventum, Samnium – Part II Just to the west of the cathedral, a little ways down Via Carlo Torre, is the Area Archeologica Arco del Sacramento. The archaeological remains in this park are those of a bathing complex, located in the vicinity of the forum of ancient Beneventum. Though impressive looking, the archaeological…

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Beneventum, Samnium – Part II

Continued From Beneventum, Samnium – Part I From the Arch of Trajan, one of the streets leading due east out of the intersection in front of the arch is Viale dei Rettori (a slight uphill). About 300 meters along this street, it intersects with Via Sandro Pertini and curves to the south. On the southwest…

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Beneventum, Samnium – Part I

Most Recent Visit: July 2023 Beneventum was located at the confluence of the Calor (modern Irpino Calore) and Sabatus (modern Sabato) rivers, now the location of the modern city of Benevento, which clearly derives its modern name from the ancient. Prior to the arrival of Roman hegemony, the name of the settlement here seems to…

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Venusia, Samnium

Most Recent Visit: July 2023 Little is known of Venusia (today modern Venosa in Italy’s Basilicata region) prior to conquest by the Romans, though according to legend it was founded by Diomedes after his arrival in Italy. He dedicated the city to Aphrodite in hopes of making amends with the goddess after he wounded her…

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Brundisium, Calabria

Most Recent Visit: July 2023 The Roman city of Brundisium (modern Brindisi), located on the Adriatic coast of Calabria (modern Apulia) seems to have begun life as a settlement of the Messapi; though legends have the city being founded by the mythic king Diomedes of Thrace. The Messapi are thought to have originated in the…

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Sicilia – 2017

Having finished posting the sites of my swing through Sicily in the summer of 2017, I thought a short post tying everything together as an actual itinerary, as I did with my Spain trip in 2016, would be in order. I meant to post it last week, but didn’t get around to it. I definitely…

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Syracusae, Sicilia – Part II

Continued From Syracusae – Part I  Just to the west of the park, though outside, are some rows of tiered seating associated with a possible viewing area, referred to as the ‘linear theater’. This may be the remains of a 5th century BCE, or earlier, theater that preceded the theater in the park. It has…

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