Akrai: dai culti eroici antichi alle feste patronali moderne

Akrai, founded in 663 BC by Corinthians from Syracuse, seventy years after the founding of Syracuse, stands on the Acrense plateau known as Acremonte. This strategic position overlooking the valley allowed control of the inland territory and provided access to what is now the Ragusa area. The first true discoverer was Gabriele Judica, a distinguished son of Palazzolo Acreide – now known as Akrai – who, from the early 1800s, began a series of excavations that brought to light numerous artefacts, including inscriptions of great significance for understanding local religious practices. Following in his footsteps, Paolo Orsi and Luigi Bernabò Brea studied the archaeological site and its sacred complexes with keen interest. There is no doubt that this sacredness has transcended time. Many rituals in the town’s modern patron saint festivals are undoubtedly the custodians of those sacred manifestations from an archaic era.