Temple E (Temple of Hera)

Temple E is the most intact and visually impressive of the Selinunte temples, a large Doric structure of the 5th century BC that was partially restored to standing in the mid-20th century. It is attributed to Hera on the basis of architectural comparisons and votive objects found nearby, though the dedications of most Selinunte temples remain uncertain. The temple stands on the eastern hill, separated from the acropolis by the dry bed of the ancient harbour.

The colonnade of 36 columns is largely complete on the exterior, giving a vivid impression of what a Greek temple looked like when new — though the roof is gone and the interior walls survive only in fragments. Some of the original metopes, the carved marble panels that decorated the entablature, have been removed to the Palermo Archaeological Museum, where they are displayed in excellent condition. Reproductions mark the spaces they occupied in the restored temple.

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Temple E was re-erected in the 1950s in a reconstruction that used the original fallen stones, a process called anastylosis. It was a controversial decision at the time — purists argued the temple should have remained as a romantic ruin — but the result has made Selinunte one of the most visually arresting ancient sites in Sicily, with a nearly complete Doric colonnade rising from the hilltop against the blue sky.

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