Tempio delle Tavole Palatine, Bernalda

The remains of the monument are located in the archaeological area of Metaponto, more precisely on the last ripple of the Givoni, ancient coastal ridges, near the right bank of the Bradano river, erected on the remains of an ancient Neolithic village, along the prehistoric road coming from Siris-Heraclea, about 3 km from the ancient city of Metaponto.

The temple, restored in 1961, was initially attributed to the cult of the goddess Athena, later on a fragment of a vase, found during the archaeological excavations of 1926, a votive dedication to the goddess Hera was discovered.

Until the 19th century, the Tavole Palatine were locally also defined as “Mensole Palatine” or “Colonne Palatine,” probably in memory of the battles against the Saracens by the Paladins of France. The temple was also called the “School of Pythagoras,” in memory of the great philosopher Pythagoras. In the Middle Ages, it was still called “Mensae Imperatoris,” probably in memory of Emperor Otto II who, during the expedition against the Saracens in 982, camped in Metaponto.

The remains of the temple consist of 15 columns with 20 flutes and Doric order capitals. Of the 15 columns, 10 are on the northern side and 5 on the southern side. Originally the columns were 32, as the temple was peripteral with 12 columns on the long sides and 6 on the short sides. The stylobate was 34.29 meters long and 13.66 meters wide, the cella was 17.79 x 8.68 meters. The temple is very degraded, as it was built with local limestone (called mazzarro).

Near the temple, numerous remains of the ancient terracotta decoration, statuettes, ceramics, and other column pieces were found during the 1926 excavations, displayed at the National Archaeological Museum of Metaponto.