Complex rituals at 3rd-century BCE Samnite Sanctuary in San Giovanni in Galdo

San Giovanni in Galdo, in the Province of Campobasso, Molise, Italy, is home to a significant archaeological site: a Samnite sanctuary atop Colle Rimontato. Established in the Hellenistic period around the 3rd century BCE under Samnite rule, the sanctuary served as the center of importance for the local settlement after the Social War of the 1st century BCE. The area was inhabited until the 3rd century CE, at which point everything was abandoned, and the new medieval center of San Giovanni was rebuilt further down the valley. The temple, discovered in the 1990s, is a prostyle temple with a pronaos and a single row of columns. The temple’s podium has two entrances and decorations with dentils. There were probably wooden stairs to access the temple. The temple’s floor is red with white avorio tiles. The temple’s plan is quadrangular, as is the sacred precinct.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons