Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At the entrance to the precinct stood the original
Temple of Athena Pronaia
(“Fore-Temple”, in relation to the Apollo shrine), destroyed by the Persians and
reconstructed during the fourth century BC beyond the Tholos; foundations of both
structures can be traced. Outside the precinct on the northwest side (above the
Marmaria) is a
gymnasium
, again built in the fourth century BC, but later enlarged
by the Romans; prominent among the ruins is a circular plunge-bath for athletes'
refreshment after their exertions.
The museum
Delphi's
museum
contains a rare and exquisite collection of sculpture spanning the
Archaic to the Roman eras, matched only by finds on Athens' Acropolis. It also features
pottery, bronze articles and friezes from the various treasuries and temple pediments,
which give a good picture of the sanctuary's riches.
The most famous exhibit, with a room to itself at the south end of the galleries, is the
Charioteer
, one of the few surviving bronzes of the fifth century BC, unearthed in
1896 as part of the “Offering of Polyzalos”, toppled during the earthquake of 373 BC.
The charioteer's eyes, made of onyx and set slightly askew, lend it a startling realism.
Other major pieces include two huge
kouroi
from the sixth century BC, betraying clear
Asiatic/Egyptian stylistic traits; a life-size, sixth-century BC votive
bull
fashioned from
hammered silver and copper sheeting; and the elegant Ionic winged
Sphinx of the
Naxians
, dating from 565 BC. In the same gallery, the
Siphnian frieze
depicts Zeus and
other gods looking on as the Homeric heroes fight over the body of Patroclus. Another
portion of this frieze shows a battle between gods and giants, including a lion
graphically mauling a warrior.
he
Athenian Treasury
is represented by fragments of the
metopes
(friezes)
depicting the labours of Hercules, the adventures of Theseus and a battle with
Amazons. A group of three colossal if badly damaged
dancing women
, carved from
Pentelic marble around an acanthus-topped column - probably a tripod-stand
- dates from the fourth century BC and is thought to represent the daughters of
Kekrops. Among later works is an exquisite second-century AD figure of
Antinoös
,
favourite of Roman emperor Hadrian.
3
Modern Dhelfí
Modern Dhelfí
, 500m to the west of the site, is as inconsequential as its ancient
namesake is impressive. Entirely geared to mass tourism (including Greek skiers),
Dhelfí's only real attraction - besides proximity to the ruins and access to Mount
Parnassós (see p.212) - is its cliffside setting.
Museum of Delphic Festivals
Thu-Mon 9am-2.30pm • €2
he stone house where the poet
Angelos Sikelianos
once lived exhibits artefacts and
paraphernalia relating to the events he and Eva Palmer organized in 1927-30. Their
idea was to set up a “University of the World” and make Delphi a cultural centre.
The project eventually failed, though it inspired an annual
Delphic Festival
, held now
in July of each year, with performances of contemporary drama and music in the
ancient theatre.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
DHELFÍ
By bus
There's a single KTEL bus terminal at the Itéa (west)
end of town, where the upper and lower commercial
streets link up. Westbound buses go to Ámfissa (for onward
connections north), Itéa and (usually with a change) on to
Náfpaktos, while eastbound services go to Aráhova and on
to Athens. The main problem, since all coaches originate
elsewhere, is that seats allocated for the Dhelfí ticket booth
are limited and sell out quickly.
Destinations
Athens (6 daily; 3hr); Ámfissa (6 daily;
30min); Arahóva (6 daily; 20min); Galaxídhi (3 daily;
