Chiesa vs. tempio
The Italian words chiesa and tempio both refer to religious buildings, but they have distinct meanings and usage in the Italian language.
Chiesa
A1Chiesa is the most common word for a Christian church or place of worship in Italian.
La chiesa del paese è molto antica.
(The village church is very old.)
Andiamo a messa nella chiesa di San Pietro.
(We're going to mass at St. Peter's Church.)
La chiesa cattolica ha una lunga storia in Italia.
(The Catholic Church has a long history in Italy.)
Tempio
B1Tempio generally refers to a temple or a place of worship for non-Christian religions, or to ancient religious structures.
Il tempio di Apollo a Delfi era famoso nell'antichità.
(The Temple of Apollo at Delphi was famous in antiquity.)
Abbiamo visitato un tempio buddista in Giappone.
(We visited a Buddhist temple in Japan.)
Il Pantheon a Roma era un tempio dedicato a tutti gli dei.
(The Pantheon in Rome was a temple dedicated to all gods.)
Summary
While chiesa is specifically used for Christian churches and is the most common term for a place of worship in Italy, tempio is used for non-Christian religious buildings or ancient structures. Chiesa is used in everyday contexts when referring to local places of worship, while tempio often has a more historical or exotic connotation.