The temple and statues at Delphi were destroyed under the rule of Theodosius I in c. 390 AD. The village of Kastri was built on top of the ruins using marble from destroyed buildings and, eventually, the precise location of Delphi was lost.[1]
George Wheler and Jacques Spon rediscovered the site using an old description from Pausanias, and published their findings in 1682.[1] Other explorers noted the remains of the ancient temple in Kastri, including Colonel William Martin Leake who visited the site in 1802 and 1806.[2] In 1838, Greek scholars suggested that the village be moved to allow excavation of the site. In 1891, the French Archaeological School of Athens pledged a sum of money to facilitate the removal of the villagers to the site of the modern town of Delphi and, in return, was granted a ten-year concession to excavate the site.[2] The village was estimated to consist of about one hundred homes and two hundred inhabitants.[3]
During the excavation, the French Archaeologists removed vast quantities of soil from landslides that had covered the major buildings and structures of Delphi.[4]
The new village that was created for the inhabitants of Kastri is now part of modern-day Delphi, and the name is not used locally anymore.
