Archaeologists in Sicily have uncovered painted plaster, decorative stucco and column fragments from a Roman-era building beside one of ancient Akragas’ (Greek: Ἀκράγας) most important Greek assembly halls. The remains date mainly to the first century B.C. and were found at Poggio di San Nicola in Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples. Researchers believe they belonged to a large colonnaded structure, but its purpose remains unclear.
The Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa announced the discovery on Oct. 6. The excavation is led by Professor Gianfranco Adornato.
Mysterious structure leaves archaeologists with two possibilities
Evidence of columns and a covered walkway suggests the building included a large peristyle, an open courtyard surrounded by columns. Such spaces were common in wealthy Roman houses. However, archaeologists are not certain that the structure was a private home. Adornato said it could instead have been a monumental colonnaded terrace connected to a nearby Roman temple. That distinction could help explain how Akragas changed after coming under Roman control.
The building stood close to an ekklesiasterion, where citizens had gathered during the Greek period. Built between the fourth and third centuries B.C., the semicircular assembly space could hold about 3,000 people. The same area also contained a bouleuterion, used by the city council, while a large ancient theater stood nearby. Together, the buildings made Poggio di San Nicola a center of political and public life.
Painted fragments offer clues to building’s past
The newly discovered plaster preserves traces of Roman wall decoration. Researchers have identified elements associated with the second and third styles of Roman wall painting, traditions also known from Pompeii. Second-style painters used architectural scenes and perspective to create an illusion of depth. The later third style favored flatter colored panels and delicate decorative details. Further analysis could establish whether the different styles represent separate phases in the building’s history.
Archaeologists in Sicily have uncovered a mysterious Roman-era building beside an ancient Greek assembly hall at Akragas. Painted walls, stucco and columns point to an impressive structure, but was it a lavish Roman home or a public monument? pic.twitter.com/VmKafSjt60
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) October 6, 2026
Roman rule transformed the former assembly area
Rome took Akragas in 210 B.C. during the Second Punic War. The old assembly area later lost its original function, and part of it was filled in. A small Roman temple was eventually built nearby. The hill continued to change for centuries. Roman-era homes, some decorated with mosaics, later occupied parts of the former civic area. Other recent excavations at ancient Akragas have uncovered mosaics and early Christian remains that further document the city’s transformation over centuries.
A Greek city reshaped over centuries
Founded by Greek settlers in the sixth century B.C., Akragas became one of the Mediterranean’s leading cities. Its surviving Doric temples remain some of the clearest evidence of the city’s Greek past. The transition from Greek to Roman rule can also be seen in other parts of Agrigento. Archaeologists investigating the city’s ancient Greek gymnasium have been studying how another major civic complex was transformed during the Roman period.
Researchers are still studying the latest finds. Determining whether the newly uncovered colonnaded building was an imposing Roman residence or a public monument could reveal how a former center of Greek civic life was reshaped under Roman rule.
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