Second Temple of Hera (Paestum)

The Second Temple of Hera, commonly called Hera II or the Temple of Neptune, is an ancient Greek temple in the archaeological area of Paestum in Campania, Italy. It dates to the classical period of Magna Graecia and is among the best-preserved Doric temples in Italy.

Architectural highlights include a peripteral Doric colonnade in a 6 by 14 column arrangement and a clear, robust silhouette typical of mid-fifth century BCE Greek temple design. The temple is one of three major Greek temples at Paestum that form the core of the archaeological site.

The structure was built in the classical Greek period, around the mid 5th century BCE, for cult and ritual use. Over the centuries the site was abandoned and then rediscovered during the modern archaeological period, which led to excavation and conservation work from the 18th century onward.

The temple stands within the Paestum archaeological park in the coastal plain of Campania, roughly southeast of Naples and close to the present-day town of Paestum.

• Columns: The temple has a classical Doric peristyle with six columns at each short end and fourteen along each long side, a common 6x14 layout in Greek architecture.