Architecture and Decoration of Temple B in Volterra
The architecture of Temple B on the Acropolis of Volterra represents an imposing example of a Tuscan-style building, constructed towards the end of the 3rd century BC. The new structure was erected to replace the earlier Late Archaic temple (destroyed by a landslide) and ritually reproduced its layout and north-east/south-west orientation, despite the fact that this model was already considered outdated during the Hellenistic period (FIG. 9).
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- Fig. 9 – Recinti e Tempio B
The main architectural features revealed by the investigations are as follows:
Dimensions and Materials: The temple was a large-scale building, measuring 21.70 metres in width and approximately 37 metres in depth. The load-bearing structures were constructed using medium-sized blocks of travertine limestone, bonded with clay mortar.
Podium and Access: The building stood on a high podium, accessed by a central staircase located on the front façade, of which the remains of two steps are preserved. A crepidine with a foundation of small stone fragments ran around the base of the podium.
Spatial Organization: The plan included a very deep pars antica (pronaos), characterized by a portico consisting of three rows of four columns with discontinuous foundations. The pars postica (rear section), according to the most recent investigations, consisted of a single internal cella, unlike the three-cell model described by Vitruvius.
Decorative Features: Although much of the superstructure has been lost due to a landslide affecting the northern slope, numerous fragments of terracotta sculptures that decorated the roof have been discovered. These decorative elements included figures of Amazons (Amazonomachy) and hunting scenes, expressing the Classicist artistic language of the Middle Hellenistic period in Italy.
Urban Context: The temple dominated an area arranged according to a scenographic design, with four open-air sacred precincts (I–IV) located on the terrace in front of it, where worshippers practised chthonic cults dedicated to the goddess Demeter.
Today, only a modest portion of the temple remains visible, corresponding to the southern part of the colonnaded pronaos and a section of the south-eastern perimeter wall.
