Today's Agrigento is heir to a powerful city of antiquity, the famous Akragas that, in the fifth century B.C. became one of the most important and flourishing cities in the Mediterranean, coming to be known as “the most beautiful city of the mortals” (Pindar). This beauty can be witnessed in the extraordinary finds kept at the Archaeological Regional Museum of Agrigento and the majestic Valley of the Temples, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The heart of the archaeological park features the magnificent Kolymbetra Garden, the water reserve of the ancient Akragas. From the Roman era are the remains of the elegant villas of the Hellenistic-Roman Quarter. The modern city developed around two hills, the Rupe Atenea and the hill of Girgenti, where the medieval city emerged and evolved into what is the current center of town. In the historic center, the alleys and streets of Arab influence link prestigious buildings and prominent churches of later eras. The Via Atenea, lined with cafes, restaurants and shops, is the beating heart of the new and old Girgenti; the panoramic view there and near Viale della Vittoria displays the rich landscape of the Valley and the sea below; from Punta Bianca to San Leone (the seaside town which, together with the city center, features the bustling nightlife of the Agrigentini). Near Porto Empedocle, in Contrada Caos you will find the birthplace and museum of Luigi Pirandello: as well as a Literary Park dedicated to this playwright, poet and Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature.