The Temple at Bassae, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands utterly alone in the middle of a plateau surrounded by mountain peaks. It was built in the 5C BC by the residents of Ancient Figalia to honour Apollo Epicurius, who had protected them from the plague. According to Pausanias, the architect was Ictinus, who also worked on the Parthenon. Under a vast canopy, its pale colonnades have an impressive, noble aspect.