Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae of Phigaleia
Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae of Phigaleia things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
GreecePeloponnese, Western Greece and the IonianMunicipality of OichaliaTemple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae of Phigaleia
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIDescription
cultural
outdoor
accessibility
Bassae is an archaeological site in Oichalia, a municipality in the northeastern part of Messenia, Greece. In classical antiquity, it was part of Arcadia. Bassae lies near the village of Skliros, northeast of Figaleia, south of Andritsaina and west of Megalopolis.
attractions: Archaeological Site at Bassae of Phigaleia, restaurants:
Ratings
Description
Bassae is an archaeological site in Oichalia, a municipality in the northeastern part of Messenia, Greece. In classical antiquity, it was part of Arcadia. Bassae lies near the village of Skliros, northeast of Figaleia, south of Andritsaina and west of Megalopolis.
Posts
Temple of Apollo Epicuriusat Bassae (Delphi Ruins), Greece
DaisyDaisy
200
Visited in March of 2024 This was an off the beaten path Temple in the mountains of Peloponnese Greece. It was surprisingly cold at this elevation in mid March but enjoyable. There is a couple that is at the base of the site that sells the government tickets to get in. They are very nice with a "security" cat that follows you looking for love from the tourists...very friendly! The site is all under an enormous tarp tent that is cabled to the ground in concrete as it is in an active state of restoration that is a site to behold. They are lifting and replacing section of HUGE collumns and flooring. The engineer work is really a joy to behold as most people have never seen this sort of engineer work done before. We thought this was one of the most interesting and educational sites that we went to in Greece. Very well maintained! Not to be missed. The temple was dedicated to Apollo Epikourios ("Apollo the helper"). It sits at an elevation of 1,131 metres above sea level on the slopes of Kotylion Mountain. Its construction is placed between 450 BC and 400 BC; the plague its dedication related to was probably the plague of Athens of 430 BC. It was supposedly designed by Iktinos. architect at Athens of the Parthenon. Modern scholars such as A. W. Lawrence are doubtful about this, as though the Doric order used is "extremely similar" to that of the Parthenon, where they differ Bassae is "old-fashioned", yet it was probably built later. The ancient writer Pausanias praises the temple as eclipsing all others in the Peloponnesos except the Temple of Athena Alea at Tegea by the beauty of its stone and the harmony of its construction.
Kirk BelmontKirk Belmont
10
This is one of my favorite sites visited in July 1995 during a road trip all over mainland Greece, the Peloponnese. I believe I enjoyed it so much because A) it was so remote and difficult to get to at the time (I'm not sure how the road has been improved since but it was pretty rough then). And B) how it was described in the Blue Guide: "The temple is attributed to Pausanias to Iktinos. Its style makes it almost certainly an earlier work than the Parthenon, and so designed c. 450-447 BC, though the execution may not have been finished before 425 BC. It is variously referred to as Temple of Bassae and Temple of Apollo Epikourious at Bassae, Vasses, Vasse and simply Bassae. I loved walking around the site, which was not crowded then and looked especially arid back then but seems to have greened up in recent years looking at more recent photos. It is also interesting to note the lack of algae or moss on the marble in '95 compared to some of the more recent photos where it looks like there have been some leaks in the 'tent'. It must really have been something for some of the Europeans of the 18th century to arrive here and see so much of the temple still standing (though it disgusts me to read about some of those nations hauling away some of the statuary and probably Corinthian embellishments---of which it was one of the earliest examples).
Davis D. JanowskiDavis D. Janowski
10
The Temple of Epicurius Apollo built at the end of the 5th century BC (420-400) is the work of the architect of the Parthenon Iktinos and dedicated to the God Apollo.Entrance €=6, reduced ticket €=3. The Church is a pavilion, a six-star, Doric order. One of its many peculiar features is that on the long sides it has 15 columns (and not 13, as one would expect based on the normal for the time ratio, which wants the long sides to have twice the number of columns than the narrow ones plus one). Apart from the Doric style external colonnade, elements of the other two styles, the Ionic and the Corinthian, coexist in the architecture of the temple. The three styles of ancient Greek architecture were combined in such a masterful way that the Temple of Apollo Epicurius was considered one of the most important ancient temples. We hope that at some point the restoration and maintenance works of the Church will be completed because the image it has been presenting for several years degrades and does NOT highlight this excellent work.
manos psathasmanos psathas
00
The next destination is the mountain nest Bassae, 65 km away, with its UNESCO World Heritage Site. The route there runs over small, winding mountain roads and passes with great views, but takes almost 2 hours. When we arrive in the mountain solitude at 1130m above sea level, we are presented with a bizarre sight. The unusually elongated temple of Epicurus Apollon, with 6x15 columns, is packed like a Christo art object. The magnificent building from the 5th century BC. is exceptionally well preserved but in danger of collapsing. Therefore, at the end of the 1980s, there was no hesitation and the whole thing was put into a supporting skeleton and packed weatherproof. The restoration work continues to this day. Here 3 different ancient architectural styles are said to be found and the first chapter of building history. The complex is surrounded by the remains of a small settlement in which cyclamen seem to love.
TheEvdriverTheEvdriver
00
After an intense bike drive of 46 km from Tholo, down at the sea, I reached today around noon the temple hoping to buy some needed water. Unfortunately it turned out there is only a ticket office and no facilities for drink or food. I was quite uncomfortable but then the sweet, blond, Greek lady of the ticket office said: "Hey, wait!" And she offered me one of her two large bottles from her small office....!!! I hope she reads or someone will tell her that I shared this wonderful action with all of you. She saved my trip and I am tremendously grateful for her spontaneous and genuine support. She is 5 stars! (Only after 21 km I had the first opportunity to buy water in Petralona) The temple I have visited twice in the past and is really worthwhile a visit. Such a pity only a few people know to find this wonderful place with its beautiful temple.
Jouke. nlJouke. nl
60
Nearby Attractions Of Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae of Phigaleia
Archaeological Site at Bassae of Phigaleia
Archaeological Site at Bassae of Phigaleia
4.7
(680)Click for details
Reviews
Overview
4.8
(1.1K reviews)
Phone
+30 2626 022275
Call
Website
apollotemple.ilia-olympia.org
Visit
Deep Dive
A deep dive into Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae of Phigaleia
- Unable to get your location