Temple of Apollo
Temple of Apollo is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Pompeii audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~20 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type ruins
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Pompeii Pompeii guide
About Temple of Apollo
The oldest temple in Pompeii, predating the Roman city by centuries, with bronze statues of Apollo and Diana (copies) and Ionic columns that have stood for nearly 2,500 years.
The Temple of Apollo is the oldest sacred site in Pompeii, with origins in the 6th century BC, long before Pompeii became a Roman city. Apollo was particularly important in this region as a healing and prophetic deity, and his cult at Pompeii predated the Roman colonisation by centuries. The temple stands in its own precinct adjacent to the Forum, raised on a high podium and surrounded by a colonnaded portico. The Ionic columns that surround the temple are still standing, and two bronze statues, of Apollo as an archer and Diana as a huntress, are displayed in the portico (the originals are in Naples). A sundial on a column in the precinct is one of very few ancient Roman sundials still standing where it was set up. The temple is decorated with terracotta reliefs and has a marble altar in front of the entrance steps. The combination of its antiquity, its architectural completeness, and its prominent position adjacent to the Forum make it one of the most historically layered sites in Pompeii.
Did you know? The Temple of Apollo at Pompeii predates the city's Roman colonisation by over 400 years, its 6th-century BC foundations make it one of the oldest religious structures in the western Mediterranean.
How long should you spend at Temple of Apollo?
Plan about ~20 min at Temple of Apollo. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Temple of Apollo worth visiting?
Temple of Apollo is one of the 15 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Pompeii, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Pompeii
Hear the story of Temple of Apollo
Preview the Pompeii tour free in the Gingerguide app.