Afeas temple

The temple, dedicated to the goddess Afea, is located in the north-est of the island of Aigina in a pine woods landscape. According to researchers, the goddess was the protector of women and maternity and the Afea hill was a place of cult several centuries before the temple construction.
As it often happens in history, the temple has been built over previous remains, either destroyed or demolished.
The temple, in doric style, has been built between 500 and 490 BC with a local limestone (tufa) of vulcanic origin. The floor plan is rectangular, 28.50 m. x 13.80 m., while the height is 12.40 m.

It is well conserved and therefore we may have a good idea of its original aspect. It is definitely a man-sized construction. Some construction details, like the "entasi" of the columns give to the temple a remarkable lightness and plasticity. This technique has been later applied to the Parthenon in Athens.
The temple of Afeas is considered one the best examples of architecture of this period, although we still don't know who the architect was.
The temple was an important cult location throughout the classical period. The island had a golden period, a strong navy and its commercial activity extended all the way to Aegypt. Athens did not well accept such rivalry in its area. The clash was inevitable. Athens won the naval battle in 458 BC. The decline of Agina was settled, and so did the temple: it has been abandoned two centuries later.

Between 1700 and 1800, there has been a strong interest towards archeology. Some people had a genuine scientific interest, some were looking for a profit. At the time, the states were not so well organized. Local ignorance and corruption did the rest. In 1811, the english architect Charles Robert Cockerell and the german baron Carl Haller von Hallerstein found the location of the temple and started the excavations. It only took them a couple of weeks to bring to the surface a relevant amount of marble statues. After several misadventures this material ended up at the Munich Glyptothek (Germany) where it is still exposed. We can admire the incredible workmanship of these masters from the famous sculpture school of Aigina, even far away from there place of origin.

The temple of Afeas is without any doubt a masterpiece of the greek classical period.



Rodakis house, Messagros

This house is a characteristic example of Aigina's traditional architecture. It has been built by Alexandros Rodakis in the village of Messagros, not far from Afeas temple.
The ergonomics well fitted the needs of a farmer's family of the nineteenth century. It is immediately obvious that the house is man-sized and build around daily requirements.
The oven and the burried rain water tank reveal remarkable construction capabilites. Small allegoric statues (dove, clock, snake, pig) give a fairy-tale atmosphere to the construction. Some of them are still in good shape.

Alexandros Rodakis was a very gifted craftsman as it may by seen in the workmanship of stones, marbles and wodden construction.

The house drew the attention of architects and archeologists since the beginning of 1900, and it became even more well known since the architect Dimitris Pikionis published a drawing of it.

Sadly, the house is presently abandoned and would need restoration.

Bioclimatic architecture is a key issue nowadays. One must take in account the sun trajectory, winds direction, natural materials and management of energy resources. The Rodakis house, as many other examples of traditional architecture, has a lot to teach us.