The Temple of Concordia ( it, Tempio della Concordia) is an

ancient Greek temple Greek temples ( grc, ναός, naós, dwelling, semantically distinct from Latin , " temple") were structures built to house deity statues within Greek sanctuaries in ancient Greek religion. The temple interiors did not serve as meeting places, ...

in the Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples) in

Agrigento Agrigento (; scn, Girgenti or ; grc, Ἀκράγας, translit=Akrágas; la, Agrigentum or ; ar, كركنت, Kirkant, or ''Jirjant'') is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy and capital of the province of Agrigento. It was one o ...

(Greek: Akragas) on the south coast of

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, Italy. It is the largest and best-preserved Doric temple in Sicily and one of the best-preserved Greek temples in general, especially of the Doric order. It is located a kilometer east to the Temple of Heracles.

Description

The temple was built BC. The well-preserved peristasis of six by thirteen columns stands on a

crepidoma Crepidoma is an architectural term for part of the structure of ancient Greek buildings. The crepidoma is the multilevel platform on which the superstructure of the building is erected. The crepidoma usually has three levels. Each level typi ...

of four steps (measuring , and high) The

cella A cella (from Latin for small chamber) or naos (from the Greek ναός, "temple") is the inner chamber of an ancient Greek or Roman temple in classical antiquity. Its enclosure within walls has given rise to extended meanings, of a hermit's or ...

measures . The columns are high and carved with twenty

flutes The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

and harmonious entasis (tapering at the tops of the columns and swelling around the middles). It is constructed, like the nearby Temple of Juno, on a solid base designed to overcome the unevenness of the rocky terrain. It has been conventionally named after Concordia, the Roman goddess of harmony, for the Roman-era Latin inscription found nearby, which is unrelated to it. If still in use by the 4th-and 5th century, it would have been closed during the

persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire Persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire began during the reign of Constantine the Great (306–337) in the military colony of Aelia Capitolina ( Jerusalem), when he destroyed a pagan temple for the purpose of constructing a Christian chur ...

. The temple was converted into a Christian basilica in the 6th century dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul by San Gregorio delle Rape, bishop of Agrigento and thus survived the destruction of pagan places of worship. The spaces between the columns were filled with walling, altering its Classical Greek form. The division between the cella, the main room where the cult statue would have stood in antiquity, and the opisthodomos, an adjoining room, was destroyed, and the walls of the cella were cut into a series of arches along the nave. The Christian refurbishments were removed during the restoration of 1785. According to another source, the Prince of Torremuzza transferred the altar elsewhere and began restoration of the classic building in 1788. According to authors of a 2007 article, it is "apart from the Parthenon, the best preserved Doric temple in the world."

Gallery

File:Agrigento-Tempio della Concordia01.JPG File:Concordiatempel Tempio della Temple of Concordia de la Concorde Tal der Tempel Valle dei Templi Agrigento Sizilien Foto Wolfgang Pehlemann DSC07490.jpg File:Concordiatempelagrigent4.jpg File:Valle dei Templi 3214.jpg File:Charles Gore View of the Temple of Concord at Agrigentum.png, ''View of the Temple of Concord at Agrigentum'' by

Charles Gore Charles Gore (22 January 1853 – 17 January 1932) was a Church of England bishop, first of Worcester, then Birmingham, and finally of Oxford. He was one of the most influential Anglican theologians of the 19th century, helping reconcile the c ...

(1777) File:A View at Girgenti in Sicily with the Temple of Concord and Juno.tif, ''A View at Girgenti in Sicily with the Temple of Concord and Juno'' by

Charles Lock Eastlake Sir Charles Lock Eastlake (17 November 1793 – 24 December 1865) was a British painter, gallery director, collector and writer of the 19th century. After a period as keeper, he was the first director of the National Gallery. Life Eastlak ...

() File:Fig. 121 Temple of Concord at Girgenti.png, ''Temple of Concord at Girgenti'', a wood engraved print () File:Temple of Concord, Girgenti, Italy, 1895. (2826089766).jpg, ''Temple of Concord, Girgenti'' by

William Henry Goodyear William Henry Goodyear (1846–1923) was a noted architectural historian, art historian, and museum curator. He was the son of Charles Goodyear (1800–1860), inventor of rubber vulcanization, and Clarissa Beecher Goodyear. Goodyear was ...

(1895) File:Joseph Pennell Temple of Concord, Girgenti.png, ''The Temple by the Sea'' by

Joseph Pennell Joseph Pennell (July 4, 1857 – April 23, 1926) was an American draftsman, etcher, lithographer and illustrator for books and magazines. A prolific artist, he spent most of his working life in Europe, and is known for his interest in landmarks, l ...

(1913) File:Fotografi på tempel Concordia - Hallwylska museet - 104077.tif, circa 1888

References

;Bibliography * * {{Authority control 5th-century BC religious buildings and structures Concordia Buildings and structures in the Province of Agrigento Valle dei Templi 5th-century BC establishments in Italy Roman temples by deity Archaeological sites in Sicily

Description

Gallery

See also

References