Itea is the closest port to the ancient city of Delphi.  Delphi was built on the southern slopes of Parnassus (altitude 500-700 meters), situated so it could not be seen from the sea.  This provided some protection from pirates who raided the coast.  The area is also prone to earthquakes which caused openings in the ground to let fumes escape.  Supposedly the fumes caused a shepherd to be possessed and utter things which later became true.  This was the first oracle delivery.

Delphi was first inhabited 1600-1100 BC as shown by a few traces of houses, tombs, statues and jewelry found.  110-800 BC not much happened as Greece was under raids.  Then from 800-400 BC the sanctuary evolves into an important religious and intellectual center for Greece.  The monuments were stated and statues outnumbered the population.  Roman Emperor Nero seized 500 statues in 67 AD from Delphi.  During this time the Oracles were consulted for many this especially settling new colonies and selecting leaders.

The fame of the Oracles spread and other non-Greeks came for advice such as King Midas and Egyptian pharaohs.  Needless to say this brought the city great wealth and dragged it into four sacred wars, first during 590-580 BC, second 448-446, third 356-346 and the fourth 339-338.  It survived all with some outside help at times.  When Alexander came into power the world changed and Delphi lost authority but not glory as leaders sent more statues and offering to propagandize themselves.

In 279 the Galatians hordes attacked but the gods intervened and sent rocks down on them.  Actually they were repelled by the Aetolieans who took over the sanctuary.  They were expelled by the Romans and Delphi became independent in 86 BC.  Roman Consul Syllas stripped the it of all precious metals and three years later looted by Maedans who burnt down the temple of Apollo.  IT still had over 3,000 statues and artwork in 170 AD.

Christianity became stronger in the area and Constantine the Great transferred a lot of offerings to Constantinople.  Roman Emperor Julian (360-363 AD) tried to revive the old God worshipping.  In 394 Theodosius the Great closed all the sanctuaries and banned the pagan religion.  A Christian community moved in until 7^th century when the city was abandoned.  It was covered by landslides and the town of Kastri was built.  In 1891 the French School of Archaeology move the city and began excavations.

Temple of Apollo.   On this site there were five temples.  According to tradition the first was  a hut made from laurel leaves.  The second made from wax and feathers and the third from bronze.  Debris from two other temples has been found.  Trophonius and Agamedes built the fourth in 7^th c. BC and was destroyed by fire in 548 BC.  A new bigger one was built  with contributions from many towns and foreign leaders.  This was destroyed by an earthquake in 383 BC.  The current temple was built by architects Spintharos, Xenodoros and Agathon with contributions from all over Greece.

Temple of Athena.  The first temple was built in Doric order (6 x 12 columns) in the 7^th century BC.  It was destroyed and a second was built in 500 B.  Most of it was destroyed around in the 4^th century BC.  The rest was destroyed in a mountain slide in 1905.

The Theater.  Built in the 4^th century BC and reconstructed in the 2^nd century.  It has 35 rows of seats and can hold 5,000 people.

Athenian Treasury.  The only restored treasury on the site.  It was built either to commemorate the Marathon Battle or to commemorate the establishment of Democracy in Athens.

The  gymnasium.  Used by athletes for training.  It had a covered section for training in bad weather as well as baths fed from the nearby Castalia spring.  The Romans added hot water baths.

The Charioteer.  Made in bronze, dedicated to Apollo by Polyzalos, tyrant of Gela in Sicily, in commemoration of his victory in the chariot race in the Pythian Games in 478 or 474 BC.  It was preserved in the ground covered during a landslide.

A man’s head from a gold and ivory statue representing Apollo.

Statue called the Dancers.  Total height was 13 meters.