An unusual feature of the mixed-valence compound a-Fe,(P04)0 is the presence of rig-zag chains of face-sharing octahedra running parallel to [OlO] and containing, alternately, Fe'+ and Fe3+ ions. These chains form sheets with the composition (FeO,). and, bemuse of the presence of face-sharing octahedra, have a very short Fe'*-Fe3+ distance of 2.97. A. The magnetic properties of ru-Fe,(PO,)O have been studied by powder neutron diffraction behveen4.2and280 Kand by thcMossbauereffect behveen4.2and295 K. Below the Ndel temperature of 218(3) K, the neutron diffraction data indicate a magnetostriction predominantly along the +axis, magnetic moments at 4.2K of 3.82(4)fiB for Fez* and 4.26(5)p8 for Fe3+ oriented parallel to [OlO], and the presence of ferromagnetic sheets, containing the zigzag chains, which are coupled into an overall antiferromagnetic structure. The net antiferromagnetic coupling is the result of a dominant 134' Fe3+-O(l)-Fe3* intenheet superexchange pathway. Ferromagnetic coupling dominates within the sheets and, asaresult, theentiremagneticstructureavoidsanyspinfrustration. Above220K,the MBssbauereffectspectraareparamagneticand show hvoquadrupole doubletswithhyperhe parameters corresponding to the discrete Fe'+ and Fe'+ valence states. Below 220 K, the MBssbauer effect spectra show two magnetic componentswith hyperfine parameters charac-teristicofdiscreteFe2'andFe"ionsandinagreementwith thecorrespondingparamagnetic valuesand the magneticstructure.