Porto Empedocle is a seaside village on the Tyrrhenian coast famous throughout the world for being the birthplace of the writer Luigi Pirandello and for being the place where the writer Andrea Camilleri set the events of his popular commissioner Montalbano: Vigata. Born as a port area of ancient Girgenti, present-day Agrigento, with the name of Marina di Girgenti, has been the place of trade for cereals from the entire area since the 15th century. It obtained autonomy from nearby Agrigento in 1853.
What is the best time to visit Porto Empedocle?
Porto Empedocle can be visited all year round: the welcome and warmth of the Sicilians will amaze you.
But for an unforgettable experience, admiring the colors, tasting the flavors and fully experiencing the traditions, it is advisable to plan a visit on the days of one of the festivals that take place in Porto Empedocle during the year.
If you want to know about upcoming festivals and events Click here and you will find a list of the most important ones.
What to see
The small village is linked to the names of the great masters of Italian literature. In it there is the Writers' Road, an itinerary that invites you to retrace the places lived and loved by the writers Pirandello, Camilleri, Sciascia and Tomasi di Lampedusa. The symbol of the village is the >Torre Carlo V, Built in the 16th century, when the town was a defensive outpost.
Traditional Festivals, Events, Live Show, Concerts,... Porto Empedocle
The centuries-old union that binds Agrigento and Porto Empedocle is also demonstrated by the fact that the same patron saints, San Gerlando and San Calogero, are venerated, to whom great celebrations are dedicated every year.
Typical food, local wines and drinks, traditional dish to taste in Porto Empedocle
You can obviously taste all the typical products of Sicilian cuisine, the most well-known ones, such as
cannoli,
Sicilian cassata, arancini, etc.
But there are some specialties typical of this area that are more difficult to find in other areas of Sicily.