AGRIGENTO

         

        Agrigento is a City on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy and capital of the province of Agrigento. It was one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia during the golden age of Ancient Greece with population estimates in the range of 200,000 to 800,000 before 406 BC.

        Agrigento was founded on a plateau overlooking the sea, with two nearby rivers, the Hypsas and the Akragas, and a ridge to the north offering a degree of natural fortification. Its establishment took place around 582-580 BC and is attributed to Greek colonists from Gela, who name it "Akragas".

        Its supremacy and pride are demonstrated by the remains of the magnificent Doric temples that dominate the ancient town, much of which still lies intact under today's fields and orchards. Selected excavated areas throw light on the later Hellenistic and Roman town and the burial practices of its early Christian inhabitants.

        It is a major tourist center due to its extraordinary rich archaeological legacy. It also serves as an agricultural center for the surrounding region. Sulphur and potash were mined locally from Minoan times until the 1970s and were exported worldwide from the nearby harbor of Porto Empedocle. In 2010, the unemployment rate in Agrigento was 19.2%, almost twice the national average.

        Agrigento has a special place among classical sites in the history of the ancient world because of the way in which its original site, typical of Greek colonial settlements, has been preserved, as well as the substantial remains of a group of buildings from an early period that were not overlain by later structures or converted to suit later tastes and cults. 

• The great row of Doric temples is one of the most outstanding monuments of Greek art and culture.
• The archaeological area of Agrigento exhibits an important interchange of human values, being undoubtedly one of the leading cities in the Mediterranean region with its outstanding evidence of Greek influence.
• As one of the greatest cities of the ancient Mediterranean region, Agrigento is an extraordinary testament of Greek civilization in its exceptionally preserved condition.
• The temples in the area exemplify Greek architecture and re considered to be among the most extraordinary representations of Doric architecture in the world.

THE ARCH OF TITUS

 

            Arch of Titus is a 1st century AD honorific arch, located on the Via Sacra, Rome, just to the south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed in 81 AD by the Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus's official deification or consecration and the victory of Titus together with their father, Vespasian, over the Jewish rebellion in Judaea.

            This arch too is situated close to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum and can be admired for free by any tourist interested in the history of the Roman Empire. The spandrels on the upper left and right of the arch contain personifications of victory as winged women. Between the spandrels is the keystone, on which there stands a female on the east side and a male on the west side.

            Two panel reliefs flank the single passageway of the arch, and a third adorns the vault. The subject matter of the flanking reliefs draws upon the 71 CE. Triumph of Vespasian and Titus, depicting key triumphal episodes following the fall of Jerusalem. In one scene Romans carry spoils from the Temple in Jerusalem, including a Menorah, sacred trumpets and the showbread table. Recent studies have shown these items were painted with yellow ochre. 

            Based on the style of sculptural details, Domitian's favored architect Rabirius, sometimes credited with the Colosseum, may have executed the arch. Without contemporary documentation, however, attributions of Roman buildings on basis of style are considered shaky.

            The medieval Latin travel guide Mirabilia Urbis Romae noted the monument, writing: "the arch of the Seven Lamps of Titus and Vespasian. During the Middle Ages, the Frangipani family added a second story to the vault, converting it into a fortified tower, beam holes from the construction remain in the panels. 

            It was one of the first buildings sustaining a modern restoration, starting with Raffaele Stern in 1817 and continued by Valadier under PiusVII in 1821, with new capitals and with travertine masonry, distinguishable from the original marble. The restoration was a model for the country side of Porta Pia. 

PIAZZA NAVONA

Piazza Navona is a public open space in Rome, Italy. It is built in 1st Century AD on the site of the Stadium of Domitian. The ancient Romans went there to watch the games known as "Circus Agonalis". It is believed that over time the name changed to in avone to navone and eventually to navona.

            Piazza Navona is one of the most famous squares in Rome and has been a space of commerce and trade since the 15th century when the local market was moved there from Campidoglio. During this time the square underwent considerable improvements and a stunning baroque facelift, to what we still see today. In the square, you can see the baroque fountain by Bernini, the Obelisk of Domitian and many other churches surrounding; as well as Pamphili Palace around the corner. 

            Piazza Navona has two other fountains. At the southern end is the Fontana del Moro with a basin and four Tritons sculpted by Giacomo della Porta to which in 1673, Bernini added a statue of a Moor, Wrestling with a dolphin. At the northern end is the Fountain of Neptune also created by Giacomo della Porta; the statue of Neptune, by Antonio Della Bitta, was added in 1878 to create a balance with La Fontana del Moro.

            During its history, the piazza has hosted theatrical events and other ephemeral activities. From 1652 until 1886, when the festival was suppressed, it was flooded on every Saturday and Sunday in August in elaborate celebrations of the Pamphili family. The pavement level was raised in the 19th century, and in 1869 the market was moved to the nearby Campo de'Fiori. A Christmas market is held in the piazza square. 

            In the early hours of September 3, 2011, the Fontana del Moro was damaged by a vandal. Police later found the man, who had been captured on security cameras climbing in the fountain, wielding a large rock and decapitating some of the larger and smaller figures, after they recognized him by his sneakers.

            The piazza is featured in Eugene Levy's film, Once Upon a Time and in 2017 film American Assassin.