Statue Alexander Hardcastle - Agrigento

In front of Villa Aurea, the cobbled courtyard in front of the entrance stairs contains the bronze bust of Sir Alexander Hardcastle who contributed to the revival of this area at the beginning of the 20th century.

He came to Agrigento and then Girgenti in 1921 to enjoy the beneficial influences of the mild climate and to admire the archaeological heritage. He in fact decided to establish his residence in this city, where he lived until his death in 1933 .

Hardcastle was a passionate and tireless researcher of the monuments of the Valley of the Temples and financed numerous archaeological excavations carried out in close collaboration with the archaeologist Pirro Marconi. Thanks to his initiative , eight columns of the Temple of Hercules were erected and the remains of the "tang stronghold" were brought to light near the Greek fortifications of Porta I.

After his death in 1933, Hardcastle was buried, according to his wishes, in the Agrigento cemetery of Bonamorone, at the point closest to the section of city wall he had brought to light and to his beloved valley.

Willem Vandenameele