Villa Athena Agrigento

Villa Athena is the only 5-star hotel situated within the Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples, which UNESCO has declared a World Heritage Site, with an exclusive direct entrance. A magnificent residence of the end of the 18th century, it is at the same time a custodian of the classical traces that may be discovered almost everywhere, like in some treasure trove.

Situated 200 metres away from the Temple of Concordia, a true masterpiece of Doric art dating back to the 5th century B.C., Villa Athena is a place where nature art and beauty have been merging together for over 2,500 years in the presence of the gods. A Sicily dating back millennia can be found here.

Hotel Villa Athena is situated in Agrigento in the heart of the Valley of the Temples, in front of the Temple of Concordia, which is only 200 metres away, in one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites in the world, named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Villa Athena is the only 5 star hotel with direct and exclusive entrance for its own guests to the Archeological Park.

Agrigento is not only the Valley of the Temples. We advise you to visit its historic centre, full of ancient churches and picturesque corners, and for those who love the sea and unspoilt nature, there is the famous Scala dei Turchi and the Torre Salsa nature reserve where, in particular occasions, it is possible to admire sea turtles.

ROOMS & SUITES
The resort’s recent restoration has renovated every environment, including the rooms and the suites, which have a view of the temples and/or of the park of age-old olive trees. The atmosphere of this 5-star hotel recalls the noble tradition of this “house” pervades everywhere.

Everything is original and unequaled, with refined furniture and impeccable service, enriched by a warm and friendly welcome which is typically Sicilian. Nothing will be able to disturb your rest, if not the magnificent view of the Temple of Concordia, which could keep you awake for more than one night with its unmatched beauty.

VILLA SUITE
Gazing frontally at the Temple of Concordia and at the whole temple hillside will make you feel as if time and space have stood still. It is a unique sensation that only the guests of the Villa Suite have the privilege of feeling. Enjoy then the best of the best from your extra large terrace or from your Jacuzzi.

PRESIDENTIAL SUITE
This magnificent suite with terrace is named after our beloved former President of the Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, who stayed here. If you wish, it could represent a most symbolic and exciting choice.

JUNIOR SUITE
These small suites are designed for those of you who love ample spaces and terraces that look out onto a Mediterranean garden.

TEMPLE VIEW
Only in this room are you guaranteed to have a frontal view of the Temple of Concordia, which is so close that it seems it can almost be touched by hand.

DINING
The gastronomic offer of our Resort is managed by the starred Chef Valentino Palmisano, who has a remarkable international experience and a great passion for Sicilian cuisine.

LA TERRAZZA DEGLI DEI
The Temple of Concordia and Juno appear on our Terrace with all the charm this place can provide. La Terrazza is a tribute to the Gods. They wanted to give Villa Athena a show that is relived every day and sublimate the food and wine flavors of the territory. La Terrazza degli Dei is open every day for dinner, with a tasting menu, from 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm.

FEDERICO II RESTAURANT
The park of the Villa blends with the landscape of almond and olive trees that surrounds the magnificent millenary temples on every corner. In front of our Restaurant Federico II, the Temple of Concordia stands majestic and imperishable. The restaurant is open every day, with a traditional à la carte menu, at lunch from 12.30 to 15.00 and at dinner from 19.30 to 22.30.

THE SPA
Villa Athena SPA is the result of the transformation of an ancient building which was used for the storage of wheat and oil made from olives harvested in the surrounding Valley of the Temples. It is built around an ancient Greek cistern in which water was collected. Traces of the Roman and Christian periods are still evident and continue to narrate the history of this ancient site.

Ancient earthenware dating back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries have been recovered and restored and find their greatest splendour inside our SPA, where culture, technology and expert manual techniques come together in a surprising way.

In the refined wellness area, the best manual techniques are coupled with an extraordinary synthesis of colours and aromas, in harmony with the fruits of the Valley: from the sweetness of the almond to the vigorous aroma of citrus fruits, natural sources of health for the body.

In Villa Athena SPA’s relaxing environment, in an ambiance of great intimacy where to free yourself from stress, a balance between body and mind is achieved by taking a variety of intense perfumed showers, soaking in a relaxing Jacuzzi, letting yourself be enveloped by a warm steam bath and then reclining while leisurely sipping an infusion or a herbal tea.

A person-centred approach is achieved using various techniques of personalised massage (alone or in pairs): relaxing, balancing, refreshing, tension-relieving, draining, sports, detoxifying with scrub, a combination of aesthetics and wellbeing for the face and body.

SWIMMING POOL & GARDEN
Admire the Temple of Concordia from our freshwater swimming pool, surrounded by the solarium area with sun loungers and umbrellas. Have a panoramic swim at sunset to recover from the excursion of the day, immersed in the enchanting scents of our resort’s garden, which includes a citrus grove, age-old olive trees, prickly pears, palms and a small Mediterranean kitchen garden.

EVENTS
Entertain your guests in a stupendous environment and spoil them with a personalized menu based on regional specialities. For company lunches or dinners, it is possible to book the fascinating area surrounding the Federico II restaurant, while for fewer guests we can reserve for you the picturesque Terrazza degli Dei.

For an exclusive unforgettable occasion, why not book the whole resort? We can personalize your event down to the smallest detail. In addition, you can enjoy the exclusive service with our staff at your complete disposal.

WEDDINGS IN SICILY
Surprising and romantic…this is a show we imagine your wedding at Villa Athena, a luxury resort in the heart of the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento that you can reserve exclusively for your wedding day. The Special Events Team of 5-star Hotel Villa Athena will handle every detail with the utmost care in the full respect of very your desire.

Together with our wedding planner, you can decide where to organize your wedding banquet and the cake cutting, plan an original and elegant table setting, chose the menu and the wedding cake. Nothing will be left to chance.

For a wedding with a different touch, Villa Athena Resort offers the possibility of organizing an exclusive wedding “Made in Sicily”: a celebration geared completely to the flavors, the colors and the perfumes of this unique island.

BOAT EXCURSIONS
Our 5-star hotel can arrange daily excursions on its’ 10 mts elegant private boat. Come discover the most suggestive costs in the province of Agrigento.

CONCIERGE
The location is not enough to make the stay excellent. What is also needed is a team of trained professionals who are polite but at the same time genuinely passionate about their work. Villa Athena Resort offers a concierge service, available 24/7 to satisfy your every wish. They can organize guided excursions, romantic dinners, beach trips, a surprise for your partner. Nothing is impossible in the city of Gods.

DISCOVER AGRIGENTO
Renamed the City of the Temples because of its numerous Doric temples and defined by Pindar as “the most beautiful town among mortals”, Agrigento is full of history and culture. It has one of the most important archaeological parks in the world and has been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

It is the cradle of great writers (Pirandello, Sciascia, and Camilleri) and the land of ancient folk traditions (the Almond Blossom Festival and the Feast of Saint Calogero). Agrigento is also an important sea resort, with an extensive sandy coastline. The famous Scala dei Turchi and the Torre Salsa nature reserve are the greatest expression of its natural resources.

VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES
Declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site, the Valley of the Temples archaeological site is a unique place in which to lose yourself. Here you will be met by a timeless landscape, full of rarefied and mystic silence, which recalls the wondrous Peloponnese archaeological sites.

One thousand three hundred hectares of land where only age-old almond and olive trees grow, the natural guardians of the remains of ancient Akragas, one of the most important Greek colonies in Sicily, founded around 582 B.C.

Traces of this ancient splendour can still be seen in the sanctuaries, the necropolises, the agora and the temples, built mostly in the fifth century B.C., during the years of the democracy established by the philosopher Empedocles.

TEMPIO DELLA CONCORDIA
This fifth century B.C. masterpiece of Doric art still appears perfectly preserved as it was used as a Christian basilica in the sixth century. Its name derives from a Latin inscription found near the temple. We do not know, however, which god the temple was consecrated to.

TEMPLE OF HERACLES
it is the most ancient temple in the Valley. Destroyed by an earthquake, the eight columns which can be seen today were restored thanks to the intervention of the English captain, Alexander Hardcastle, at the beginning of the twentieth century.

TEMPLE OF JUPITER – ZEUS OLYMPIC
Zeus Olympic: It is the largest Doric temple in the whole western world and the only one in the Valley whose attribution to a god is assured. Because of ancient and modern destruction, we can only see the remains of the monument, among which the Telemones stand out. These were mythological figures, 8 metres in height, which served as support for the entablature.

TEMPLE OF JUNE
Its attribution to June derives from an erroneous interpretation of a Latin text. Today the remains of the monumental altar can still be seen, along with some columns which were re-erected in the eighteenth century.

TEMPLE OF VULCAN
Attributed to the god Vulcan because of a Latin inscription which spoke of the presence of a “collis vulcanius”. It was restored in 1920 by Captain Hardcastle, who intervened by removing the numerous farmhouses built around it.

TEMPLE OF ATHENA
Today incorporated in the medieval Church of Santa Maria dei Greci, only parts of its base and some columns visible in the walls of the Church can be seen

TEMPLE AND SANCTUARY OF ASCLEPIUS
A vast area of the Valley of the Temples was dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine. Here, therapeutic rituals were held and the faithful came and brought ex-voto in order to heal from illnesses or to give thanks to the divinity.

TEMPLE OF DEMETER
Incorporated in part in the medieval Church of San Biagio, the foundations are still visible behind the apse. Next to it can be found the rock sanctuary dedicated to Demeter

SANCTUARY OF THE CHTHONIC DIVINITIES AND TEMPLE OF THE DIOSCURI
the Sanctuary was dedicated to Demeter and Persephone, goddess of the Earth (and therefore chthonic) and protector of fertility, who was very popular all over Sicily. Here complex rituals were held, above all by women. Nearby are the remains of the Temple dedicated to the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux

TEMPLE OF ISIS
It is a Roman temple from the ancient city of Agrigentum. Only a part of the base and the pediment are visible.

BASILICA OF VILLA ATHENA
In the garden of Villa Athena can clearly be seen the remains of an Early-Christian basilica, built between the fifth and sixth centuries A.D. The discoveries of the liturgical furnishings and the enclosure around the Presbytery are clear evidence of its function.

BEACHES
Apart from art and culture, Sicily is also rich in beautiful coastline. It has a sea of dazzling beauty and extraordinary beaches which are worth visiting, if only for one day.

SCALA DEI TURCHI
It is said that the natural stairway of this cliff served as a landing point for the “Turks” during the Moor invasions of the sixteenth century. Imagine a sea that stretches to infinity, whose colours vary from green to blue and a rock face of blinding white stone that slopes down to the surface of the transparent water. Lie down in this opaline scenario and sunbathe while enjoying an incomparable natural spectacle.

TORRE SALSA NATURE RESERVE
A landscape that is unique in the world, where cliffs alternate with limestone rock covered in clay. Through bushes and shrubs, you make your way to a beach with clear waters populated by fish and anemones, where you can dive and do snorkelling.

From here, you can see Torre Salsa, which gives the name to the reserve. It is an ancient watchtower. The rocks form a path along the water’s surface, where fish dart around and shellfish find cover. Walking along the 6 km coastline is a beautiful experience.

You go through a spectacular landscape where cliffs of varying height alternate with dunes, deserted beaches and cultivated terraces. At particular times of the year, it is possible to spot the famous turtles

SAN LEONE BEACH
For those who love carefree idleness, there is a beach with every amenity in San Leone, which is ten minutes by car from the 5-star hotel and offers exclusive prices to the guests of our luxury resort.

PIAZZA ARMERINA AND CALTAGIRONE
Piazza Armerina is above all famous for the Roman Villa of Casale, whose fame is due to the floor which is built completely with mosaics depicting scenes of mythology, hunting, celebrations in honour of the gods and the daily life of roman times.

It is presumed that the first to settle the area around Armerina were Greeks coming from Gela. In fact, there are some sites belonging to that period. With regard to “Piazza”, the only certainty is that it was settled from the Norman period onwards.

Anyone who arrives in Caltagirone cannot fail to notice a presence that invades the town: ceramics, which do not only have a place of honour within shops in myriad forms (plates, vases, furnishings), but also decorate bridges, balustrades, façades and balconies.

SCIACCA AND SELINUNTE
For lovers of archaeology, a visit to the archaeological park of Selinunte is a must. Selinunte was a Greek town which took its name from ‘selinon’, the fragrant wild plant that grows lushly in this area.

Going back to the seventh century B.C., Selinunte today conserves the remains of temples, the acropolis, the fortifications and some sanctuaries. There follows a tour of the historic centre, the old town with Norman churches and ceramic workshops. The trip back is by fishing boat in the evening: an amazing experience!

SALINE DI TRAPANI, ERICE & SEGESTA
Fall in love with the lunar-like landscape of Saline Ettore Infersa in Trapani, among dunes formed by white salt and restored windmills; with Erice, where you can walk along the lanes of the picturesque town and taste the traditional patisseries of Erice; and with Segesta, with its Greek theatre and grandiose temple in Doric style.

PALERMO & MONREALE
A pleasant walk through the historic centre of Palermo, from Piazza Politeama, along Via Ruggero VII and past the Teatro Massimo, until you reach the picturesque markets of the city (Capo market or Ballarò). The trip ends with a visit to the Cathedral at Monreale, with its stupendous mosaics.

MODICA & RAGUSA IBLA
Visit the ancient Baroque area of Ragusa, with its churches and magnificent gardens. Then stop at Modica, where you will encounter the most famous chocolate in Italy in all its tastes, from orange to chilli pepper.

TAORMINA & CATANIA
Taormina is the pearl of the island’s tourist industry. Here it is possible to combine a fascinating historical and cultural excursion, from the Greek-Roman theatre to the ancient and austere Cathedral, with a relaxing and pleasant walk along the main street.

You will have the possibility to buy traditional local, handmade products: objects made of wrought iron, ceramics, jewellery made from coral, precious pieces of lace, as well as tasting cakes and conserves. In Catania it is possible to visit the beautiful historic centre with its Baroque buildings, Piazza Duomo, Via Etnea, the medieval “Ursino Castle”, and go on a picturesque excursion to Etna.

EXCURSION TO SIRACUSA
A guided tour to discover Siracusa: the isle of Ortigia, where the most ancient parts of the town are found, the Neapolis archaeological site, the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lacrime (Madonna of Tears), built in the mid-twentieth century to commemorate the chalk effigy of the Immaculate Heart of Mary which cried

Rooms: 27

Price: from 170 EUR per night

Source: www.hotelvillaathena.it