Sítio arqueológico de Olímpia (Archaia Olympia)

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About Sítio arqueológico de Olímpia (Archaia Olympia)

Olímpia was a sanctuary, not a city. In a valley between the Alfeu and Cládeo rivers, at the foot of the Cronos hill, the Greeks worshipped Zeus and, every four years from 776 BC, gathered athletes from all the cities for the Games, during which wars were suspended. The Games lasted more than a thousand years, until they were banned at the end of the 4th century AD. Earthquakes and river floods buried the sanctuary, which was rediscovered in the 18th century and excavated by Germans from 1875. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1989.

The visit follows the Altis, the sacred enclosure. The Templo de Zeus, from the 5th century BC, lies on the ground: the drums of the columns fell in a line during the earthquake, and one column was re-erected to give scale. Inside stood the statue of Zeus in gold and ivory by Fídias, one of the seven wonders, now lost. The older Templo de Hera, from around 600 BC, is where the Olympic flame for the modern Games is lit with a concave mirror before each edition. Beside it are the round Filipeion, erected by Philip of Macedonia, the Pelopion and the row of bases for the statues of the victors.

Through the Cripta arch you enter the stadium: a 192-metre earthen track between grassy embankments that held 45,000 people, with the stone starting and finishing lines still in place. Almost every visitor runs the track. On the other side of the Altis are the workshop where Fídias made the Zeus, later converted into a church, the Leonidaion, lodging for distinguished visitors, and the baths. The complex sits among pines and olive trees, with shade over much of the route.