{"id":12528,"date":"2025-04-30T12:27:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T19:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roamintheempire.com\/?p=12528"},"modified":"2025-04-30T21:17:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T04:17:32","slug":"agrigentum-part-v","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roamintheempire.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/30\/agrigentum-part-v\/","title":{"rendered":"Agrigentum, Sicilia – Part V (Addendum III)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Area<\/a>
Area around the bouleuterion in the agora\/forum area.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Continued From Agrigentum, Sicilia Part IV<\/a><\/p>\n

At the very west end of the archaeological park, near the Temple of the Dioscouri, is the entrance to the Giardino della Kolymbethra<\/a>, a valley located along the north side of the archaeological area. I didn\u2019t visit this on the 2017 trip because I thought having a separate additional entrance was an odd concept. The gardens have a weird opening schedule that is not necessarily tied to the archaeological park, and is not accessible from outside the archaeological park. From November to February it is open daily 10:00 to 16:00, in March through May and October it is open 10:00 to 18:00, in June 10:00 to 19:00, and from July through September from 10:00 to 20:00. Admission is 7 Euros (but can also be purchased in combination with the main entrance ticket). There is a supplemental 15 Euro fee for a guided tour of the hypogeum, part of the 5th<\/sup> century BCE water distribution system. These tours occur a few times a day in July and August and select weekend dates the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

I just missed one of the tours for the hypogeum when I arrived, though I\u2019m not sure I would have paid the additional 15 Euros for it anyhow, considering that would mean the entrance and the tour would have cost more than entrance to the archaeological park and museum. Diodorus Siculus describes the Kolymbethra as a large reservoir that was constructed as part of the waterworks built by the architect Phaeax in Agrigentum following the Battle of Himera<\/a> in 480 BCE. Carthaginian prisoners from the battle were used to build a complex water distribution system through the city. The hypogeum tour is one of these conduits that was part of this system. Whether this valley is the actual Kolymbethra described by Diodorus Siculus is not totally secure, but it seems to be a possibility that generally fits with what is known about it.<\/p>\n