Pietro Griffo Regional Museum of Archaeology
In 1867 a vase was recovered and delivered to the Municipal Museum of Girgenti.
The Minister for Education requested that the Girgenti Prefect deliver the item to the capital, based on a Royal Decree of 1863 which required all antique artifacts found in Girgenti by the Antiquities Commission be delivered to the Museum of Palermo. The Girgenti Municipality, in this instance, opposed this ruling, claiming that the vase had been found by chance and for this reason had been consigned to the Municipal Museum. The Minister termed this reasoning “municipal arrogance to be redressed”, and the sole fact of labelling some “hovel” as a Museum did not justify this claim.
In spite of these clashes, the Museum soon began to expand its collection, thanks to purchases of historic relicts by the Municipal Council from private collectors. Furthermore, during a trip to Agrigento, the British councillor William Gregory met the director of the Girgenti Archaeological Museum, who had voiced his desire to set up a collection of coins from the ancient city of Akragas and the Roman Agrigentum. Owing to his passion for Agrigento’s antiquities, and the will to contribute to the growth of the new Museum, the British traveller donated a copy of the Akragas coins from the British Museum.
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In spite of these clashes, the Museum soon began to expand its collection, thanks to purchases of historic relicts by the Municipal Council from private collectors. Furthermore, during a trip to Agrigento, the British councillor William Gregory met the director of the Girgenti Archaeological Museum, who had voiced his desire to set up a collection of coins from the ancient city of Akragas and the Roman Agrigentum. Owing to his passion for Agrigento’s antiquities, and the will to contribute to the growth of the new Museum, the British traveller donated a copy of the Akragas coins from the British Museum.
Image gallery
The other points of interest in the same route
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Temple of Dioscuri
The Temple of Castor and Pollux, or Temple of Dioscuri, as it is known in Italian, stood in the southern part of a vast complex of sacred areas, known as the Sanctuary of Chthonic Deities.
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Temple of Demeter
The growing fascination for classical antiquities fuelled the illicit trafficking of historical relics, which were sold to private collectors or even to the king on payment of a reward.
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Temple of Hercules
In 1834 the Antiquities and Fine Arts Commission of Palermo undertook the first restoration works on the Temple of Hercules, also known as the Temple of Heracles.
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Temple of Jupiter
The Temple of Jupiter, or Temple of Zeus, is an important example of the different approaches that have been applied over the years towards Agrigento’s archaeological site.
