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
'Chiesa' 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
'Tempio' 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.