Morgantina, Sicily; home to one of Sicily's key archaeological sites

Visit Morgantina

The excavations at the ancient city of Morgantina near Aidone have uncovered one of the best archaeological sites in 'inland' Sicily. Morgantina is in central Sicily to the west of Catania.

Explore Morgantina

At the site we can see the site of the ancient walls of the city, and the area that contained the temples (a large temple from the 6th century BC along with several smaller temples).

The area that was the residential region of Morgantina can also be seen, including frescoes and mosaic floors. The most famous building here is the so-called 'House of the Doric capital', with a Greek inscription welcoming visitors which reads "Eykerei" : translation “take care of you”.

There is a Shrine to Demeter and Kore, early deities, which has a trapezoidal shape (the bust of Demeter was found inside the shrine).

The Greek Theatre is another highlight - once seating an audience of 5000 people the auditorium is semi-circular auditorium and arranged over fifteen steps.

Adjacent to the theatre is a 3rd century BC granary, while we can also see traces of the original ceramic vase industry in the form of the remains of two furnaces.

Where to visit nearby?

After visiting the site at Morgantina you can visit the Museum in Aidone to see more of the remnants and artifacts that have been uncovered at the site.

The magnificent mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale at nearby Piazza Armerina are fabulous both for their quality and for the sheer size of the mosaics.

You can find more local travel ideas in the South-East Sicily guide,