Temple of Apollo

The Temple of Apollo is a Roman temple ruin in Mdina, Malta, dating from the imperial period of the 2nd century. The remains show a portico with four Ionic columns on a raised foundation, typical of sacred buildings from the North African area of the Roman provinces.

Excavations in 2002 on Villegaignon Street uncovered the crepidoma, the stepped foundation parts from the 2nd century. An inscription from 1747 mentions a private benefactor who supported the construction of the building in Roman times.

The temple carried the name of a deity associated with light and the arts in ancient Rome. Visitors can imagine how priests offered sacrifices on the altars while worshippers waited before the columns.

The temple fragments are built into several buildings and churches along the streets of the town and visible during a walking tour. The remains are best viewed in daylight when enough natural light brings out the details of the stones.

Some capitals and column pieces were reused in later centuries and are now found in the facades of medieval houses. These stone parts still carry the working marks of Roman craftsmen, visible in the fine grooves and edges.