The best preserved Archaic Doric temples and the largest number are those in Sicily and Magna Graecia. The oldest preserved peripteral is the temple of Apollo in Syracuse with 6×17 monolithic columns and many details reminiscent of Ionic elements. The ruins of four temples were found in Selinus, one of which, known as "C" is probably the oldest, since it was completed before the middle of the 6th century B.C. The pteron at the sides is more profound than the intercolumnium distance of the facade, which means that a satisfactory solution was found for the roofing of great spans. The architrave and the frieze were very high, equal to half of the height of the columns. The temple "F", in the same city, is pseudoperipteral. A wall that reached the middle of the columns enclosed the whole of the pteron. Finally the temple "G", which is one of the largest in antiquity (50×110 metres, 8×17 columns), started to be constructed at the end of the 6th century B.C. and in 6th century B.C. when the Carthaginians destroyed Selinus, had not yet been completed. In the inferior of its cella there is a small autonomous adytum, which was probably added in the 5th century.

It is not easy to describe the Doric order of South Italy in general terms. Only the chronologies are comparative and the buildings of Doric order of one city differ a lot from those of another. There are many innovations and borrowed elements from the Ionic order, and also from the architecture of other peoples. One of the most remarkable temples is that of Apollo Alaios in Crimissa with a central colonnade along the cella, a double raking gutter and antefixes over the whole perimeter of the roof. From the few elements that survived, it can be dated to the beginning of the 6th century. In Metapontum the two long sides of the pteron to the architrave survived, from a temple most probably dedicated to Heracles. We know a lot more about the two Archaic temples of Poseidonia. The oldest one is a temple called "Basilica", which, it is proven, was dedicated to Hera. The second one, although initially attributed to the Roman deity Ceres, in reality belonged to Athena. Heras' temple has an unusual design with 9×18 columns and depth of pteron equal to two intercolumnium distances. Its interior arrangement is not completely clear, but it apparently had a central colonnade and adytum. Its pronaos is defined by three columns in antis. The lower part of echinus in some capitals has a relief decoration, a characteristic that we also meet in the temple of Athena. The latter is more recent by one generation and it has the typical ground plan of 6×13 columns. However, the building of its triglyphs in the wall and the broad raking cornice, the under side of which is decorated with coffer lidsis unusual.