The main temple stands at the centre of the sacred site and has architectural features typical of Etruscan/Italic cult buildings, also found in other Samnite sanctuaries in the Pentri and Caraceni area: tall podium (h 1.79 m; length 21 m; width 11 m) with frontal steps, single quadrangular cella (7.33 m x 6.73 m) in antis, preceded by a pronaos with four columns (tetrastyle).
The building was made from local limestone. The podium, with its ashlar masonry nucleus, is clad with large stone slabs, embellished with cornices with ogee and cyma moulding. The columns, of which the site conserves the remains, were 5.95 m tall and had an Attic base and smooth shaft, tapering towards the top and crowned by a schematic, ionic, rough capital with four faces.
Production markings related to the positioning of the colonnade enable us to reconstruct a pronaos with four frontal columns and two lateral, recessed columns, in line with the threshold of the cella.
The main temple came back into use as a church and burial area in mediaeval times. |
