Temple of Hephaestus

The Temple of Hephaestus, built in local calcarenite stone, is founded on a rocky spur to the west of the Collina dei Templi ('Hill of the Temples'). It is separated from the Sanctuary of the Chthonic deities ('Earth deities') by the natural shear of the Kolymbethra (the "wonderful pool", built in the 5th century B.C., which collected waters from a complex network of aqueducts).

The name given to this temple is only conventional, as it derives from the interpretation of a passage by a Latin author, which suggests that the Collis Vulcanius ('Hephaestus's Hill') was in this area, probably because of the presence of sulphur springs. The building in Doric style (450-425 B.C.) is erected on a base (crepidoma) with four steps and it has six columns at the front and back, and thirteen along the sides. The columns have grooves with flat edges.

The interior of the temple was divided into three rooms: the central room or cella (in which the foundations of a smaller and more ancient temple of the 6th century are visible) was preceded by a porch (pronaos) and followed by a room at the rear (opisthodomos).

Numerous restorations have taken place to preserve this building, starting in 1928-1929 when some country houses leaning against the temple were demolished, thanks to the initiative of Alexander Hardcastle, a retired British army captain. The latest interventions, under the aegis of the Park Authority and with funding from the European Union (POR Sicilia 2000-2006), have been aimed at improving the stability of the building and at conserving its stone blocks.

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Testo di: Valentina Calì
admin by Tommaso Guagliardo