Page 134 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sicily

132  SICIL Y AREA B Y AREA

a Morgantina

Situated about 4 km (2 miles) from Aidone, the ancient city
of Morgantina was founded by the Morgeti, a population
from Latium who settled here around 1000 BC. The city was
then occupied by Greek colonists. Its golden age, when it
was a strategic trade centre between the north and south
of Sicily, was in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. From the
top of the hill visitors have a fine view of what remains of
the theatre, the city streets and the agora. The coins of
Morgantina and the Venus of Morgantina, which were
looted and sold to US museums, have now been returned.
The Gymnasium
This was a large area for athletic
The Market exercises, with baths (above),
This lay in the middle of the upper dressing rooms and rooms with
agora. Above is the tholos, a round equipment for the athletes.
structure which had a number of
different functions.

. Theatre . Agora
Constructed at the end of the 4th century BC, the Unusually, the agora, or forum, was divided
theatre at Morgantina was carved out of the slope into two parts, one above the other, linked
of a hill and could seat about a thousand spectators. by a trapezoidal, 14-step stairway.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p203 and pp213–14

132-133_EW_Sicily.indd 132 11/3/16 2:10 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm