To the west of the Asclepieion an exceptional sanctuary dedicated to Artemis was discovered. It is more of an outdoor temple and not a monument since it opens to the horizon and the natural environment. With a rectangular shape of dimensions 10.30 x 5.80, it is separated in two naves with two series of columns. At the back we see a base of a colossal statue: Artemis Orthia, the light-bearer.
Artemis is the goddess of hunting, of wild femininity, virginity, nature and in this case she holds a big candle bearing light. In the sanctuary there were statues of eight maidens that resemble a theatre troupe or a procession and seem ready to be initiated to her cult. Artemis Orthia of Messene was honoured as the protector of young girls. The parents would dedicate a statue of their daughters to the temple. The young girls participated in the rituals, the rites of passage from childhood to adolescence to womanhood.