Temple of Concordia, Ancient Greek temple in Valley of Temples, Agrigento, Italy.
The Temple of Concordia is a peripteral Doric temple of pale tan limestone standing on a four-step base measuring 39.42 by 16.92 metres. Six fluted columns with plain round capitals cross the front and thirteen run down each side, rising 6.67 metres to a plain stone band and a row of carved metope panels; the roof is missing, leaving the top edge open.
The temple was built around 430 BCE and ranks among the best-preserved Greek temples outside Greece itself. Its survival through the centuries owes much to its conversion into a Christian church in the 6th century, which protected it from destruction.
The name comes from a Latin inscription found nearby, read in the 16th century by the Dominican friar Tommaso Fazello as a dedication to concord among the Agrigentines; the inscription dates to the mid-1st century AD and has no link to the temple. It is now kept in the Pietro Griffo regional archaeological museum.
Visit during early morning or late afternoon hours when the sun is less intense and fewer people are around. The site is easy to walk through and has plenty of space to explore at your own pace.
The temple's columns show entasis, a slight swelling around two-thirds of their height. The same detail appears on the Temple of Juno nearby, and both stand on massive bases built to level the rocky ground. The columns are 6.67 m tall with twenty flutes each.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,787 contributors worldwide.
