The temple of Apollo Epikourios in Vasses of Figalia is one of the most important and imposing of antiquity and was dedicated to God by the Figalians because it helped them overcome a plague epidemic. The temple rises at 1,130 metres in the centre of the Peloponnese, on the mountains between Elis, Arcadia and Messinia and is attributed to Ictinus, the architect of the Parthenon.
The monument dates back to the second half of the 5th century BC (420-410 BC) and is one of the best preserved from classical antiquity. In fact, it was the first in Greece to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. The temple combines archaic, classical and traditional Arcadian features, offering an attractive blend of the old and the new, the rural and the refined.
The elongated peripteral structure (39,87 × 16,13 m) is made mainly of grey limestone of local origin. The exterior colonnade of the six-column church follows an extremely strict Doric style, while inside the church, exquisite sculpture is combined with a more elaborate architectural style. Finally, the decoration is remarkable, especially because of the different materials used, such as limestone and Dolian marble.
