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The only 5-star hotel situated in the Archaeological Park of the Valley of the
Temples, which UNESCO has declared a world heritage site, Villa Athena stands
only two hundred metres from the Temple of Concordia, a true masterpiece of Doric
art dating back to the 5th century B.C. Here can be found a Sicily which goes
back millennia.
Thanks to the foresight of its founder, the lawyer Francesco D’Alessandro, Villa
Athena, a magnificent residence of the end of the 18th century, became a hotel
in 1972 following a conservative restoration that left the architectural style
of the era unchanged.
In the garden of the hotel the remains of an early Christian basilica can still
clearly be seen. It was built between the 5th and 6th century A.D. The recovery
of the liturgical furnishings together with the presbytery enclosure are a clear
testimony of this.
A famous and refined marble Pluteus was also discovered in the gardens. It has
been dated between the late 8th-early 9th century A.D. Its relief bears witness
to the presence of Christians in the Valley up until the Islamic conquest. Staying
at Villa Athena means immersing oneself in history and myth, the surrounding temples
being a spectacular demonstration of eternal charm.
The recent completion of restoration work and the upgrading of the villa has
notably increased the beauty and the exclusiveness of the hotel. The refined and
elegant furnishings seem to blend with the comfort of the splendid suites which
overlook the temples and the park of centuries old olive trees.
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