Tempio delle Tavole Palatine
Doric temple of the 6th century BC dedicated to Hera near Metaponto, of which 15 columns remain.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Tempio delle Tavole Palatine is a Doric temple built in the 6th century BC and dedicated to Hera; it stood about 3 km from the ancient city of Metaponto, near the right bank of the river Bradano, and marked the border with its rival Taranto. For a long time it was attributed to Athena, until a fragment of a vase with a votive dedication found in the excavations of 1926 made it possible to link it to Hera.
The building was a peripteral temple with 32 columns, 12 on the long sides and 6 on the short ones; 15 remain standing, with Doric capitals and architraves, while of the cella only the foundation blocks survive. It is built of local limestone and is heavily eroded by time. Restored in 1961, over the centuries it was called locally “Mensole Palatine” or “Colonne Palatine”, in the medieval period “Mensae Imperatoris”, perhaps in memory of the emperor Otto II, who camped at Metaponto in 982, and also “Scuola di Pitagora”.
In recent years a mission of the Scuola Superiore Meridionale has carried out excavations in the temple and in the sanctuary. The polychrome terracotta decorations of the temple are kept in the Museo archeologico nazionale di Metaponto.
Highlights
- Fifteen Doric columns still standing
- Temple dedicated to Hera, 6th century BC
- Archaeological area on the bank of the river Bradano
- Decorative terracottas displayed in the Museo archeologico nazionale di Metaponto
Permanent exhibition
- Area archeologica del Tempio di Hera – Visit to the Doric temple with its 15 surviving columns and to the remains of the sanctuary.
- Operated by
- Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Basilicata
- Visitors per year
- approx. 27,392
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2.50 |
|---|
The full ticket costs €2.50; the reduced rate is not clearly confirmed by the sources. Free admission on the first Sunday of the month, as in state museums and parks, and during extraordinary openings.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
