Temple of Concordia, Agrigento

The Temple of Concordia is a large ancient Greek Doric temple in the Valle dei Templi near Agrigento on Sicily, built in the fifth century BC. It is one of the best preserved classical temples in the Mediterranean.

The building follows a peripteral Doric form with six columns at the short ends and thirteen along the long sides, and its exterior dimensions make it one of the most complete surviving examples of Greek temple architecture. Visitors tend to focus on the intact colonnade, the cella outline, and the temple’s prominent hilltop position within the archaeological park.

Constructed in the fifth century BC, the temple was converted into a Christian basilica in late antiquity, a change that helped preserve its superstructure. Since the 19th and 20th centuries it has been subject to archaeological study, conservation, and inclusion in the Valle dei Templi protected area.

The site sits on a rocky ridge above the modern city of Agrigento on Sicily’s southern coast, within the agricultural plain that opens onto the Mediterranean. The archaeological park is immediately adjacent to the town and is accessible from Agrigento.

• Column layout: The peripteral Doric plan has six columns on the short sides and thirteen on the long sides, a common formula for large Greek temples.
• Preservation: Part of the Valle dei Templi UNESCO World Heritage ensemble, it is among the best preserved Greek temples anywhere due to conversion to a Christian church in late antiquity.