Βuilt in the 5th century BC, the temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae, southeast of Olympia, represents one of the most innovative temples ever constructed in ancient Greece. The measures taken to protect it in more recent times and today’s on- going restorations, led by Ministry of Culture engineer-architects Constantinos Papadopoulos and Vasiliki Savvatianou, can similarly be noted for their inventive, progressive approaches.

First explored and plundered by English architect-artist Charles Cockerell in 1811-1812, the temple was partly reconstructed in 1902-1908 by the Greek Archaeological Society. It now stands inside an enormous protective tent (erected in 1987) that curiously contrasts with its timeless pastoral setting in picturesque Arcadia.

Long affected by subsidence and se- vere weathering, the venerable stones of the temple at Bassae have since 2001 been undergoing conservation and restoration works that involve state- of-the-art techniques, including the use of improved earthquake-sensitive joinery. Initial disassembly is also revealing previously unseen non-eroded surfaces and new constructional clues that may point to a date earlier than the traditional estimate of 420-400 BC for this non-canonical temple – which Papadopoulos concludes was not only an architectural wonder, but an engineering achievement.