Theseustempel – Vienna’s Little Piece of Ancient Greece
The Theseustempel was built between 1819 and 1823 as part of a project to bring more classical architecture to Vienna. Emperor Francis I commissioned it to house a single artwork—Antonio Canova’s Theseus Defeating the Centaur.
The temple follows the Doric order, with a design based on the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens. Its white marble and perfect proportions make it stand out, even though it’s much smaller than its Greek inspiration.

Originally, the temple’s purpose was to showcase a single artwork—the Theseus statue, which symbolized strength and heroism. However, in 1890, the sculpture was moved to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, leaving the temple empty for many years.
After standing empty for decades, the temple was eventually repurposed as a space for contemporary art exhibitions. Today, it continues to be a quiet but beautiful landmark, offering a small slice of Greece in the middle of Vienna.
If you’re passing through Volksgarten, it’s worth stopping for a few minutes to admire the architecture, take some photos, or see if there’s an exhibition inside. It’s a little piece of history hidden in plain sight.