Hestia, Day Twelve

12. Places associated with this deity and their worship.

The hearth itself was of course the primary place of Hestia's worship, as she was the hearth personified. The hearth would have been the center of her household worship, her offerings would have been made here, and if offerings to other gods were made at a household hearth she received a part of it. She also would have had an altar at the central hearth of a town-hall. In both the private and public hearths, it was seen as very important that the hearth fire remained burning at all times, except for particular times where it would be ceremonially extinguished and relit.

Hestia didn't have very many temples dedicated to her. There was said to be a temple of Hestia at Hermione, although it didn't contain a cult statue, only an altar. She also had altars in temples with/of other gods, such as the temple of Apollo at Delphi. Beyond that, Hestia was not just seen as the personification of the household or city hearth, but she was also seen in the holy fire that burned on any altar.