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Agrigento Province
Found on the Mediterranean Coast of the island of Sicily
(also known as the Sicilia Region), this province is
home to several Greek settlements dating back to the
6th century BCE, though archaeological excavations have
found evidence of human habitation that goes back a
remarkable 500,000 years.
The economy of the area has traditionally been based
upon trade and fishing.
The province is particularly well known for their
production of unique pastries and seafood based pasta
dishes.
Local agriculture is very heavily dependent upon tree
fruits and nuts such as almonds, pomegranate, lemon,
fig and olive, as well and the hundreds of thousands
of grapevines that line the steeper hills.
Particularly important in antiquity was what is now
the capital city of Agrigento, but was once known to
the Greek world as the colony of Akragras. Today it
is a small city of just over 50,000 residents.
Continually besieged by pirates throughout its long
history, the city relocated to the top of the hill that
was once the site of a large acropolis. Today, Agrigento
town functions as a port and tourist destination primarily.
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