Temple of Vesta (Tivoli)

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The temple in 1858
Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, painting by Adam Elsheimer

The so-called Temple of Vesta or Round Temple of Tivoli is a Roman round temple , which is located on the former Acropolis in Tivoli in the metropolitan city of Rome . Right next to it is the so-called Temple of the Sibyl .

history

The temple was built at the end of the 2nd century BC. Built in BC. In the Middle Ages it was converted into the Santa Maria Rotonda Church. By 1884, what had been preserved from the ancient structure was restored. Traces of Christian paintings survived until the beginning of the 20th century.

allocation

Due to its round shape, the temple is traditionally associated with the cult of the goddess Vesta , analogous to the Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum in Rome . However, there is no hard evidence of this. An allocation of the temple for the cult of Tiburnus, namesake and son of the city's founder, Catillus, is also being discussed. Even Hercules or the Sibyl Albunea are proposed.

construction

The temple belongs to the type of the round temple . It has a diameter of 14.25 m and stands on a 2.59 m high podium clad with Opus quadratum made of travertine , the core of which was cast in Opus caementicium . The structural elements of the exterior trim as well as the reveals of the door and the windows were also made of travertine . Of the original 18 pillars of the temple, 10 are still preserved. They stand on Attic bases without a plinth , are 7.10 m high and each have 18 carefully crafted Ionic fluting . The lower column diameter is 0.76 m. The columns are crowned by Corinthian capitals , namely the Italian variant of the Corinthian capital. The surviving columns support the rest of the entablature made from one piece of work , which includes architraves and buccrania - garlands - frieze . An ionic geison follows above . The architrave bore an inscription on the entrance side above the cell door, which the responsible construction officer - a L. Gellius L. f. - named, but is only partially preserved. The approximately 1.70 m between pillars and cella wall wide handling of the temple had a with rosettes decorated coffered ceiling .

The cella was entered through the door, which was 2.40 wide and 5.5 m high in the light , and was flanked by a window on the left and right . Its walls were cast from Opus caementicium and clad with Opus incertum . Originally, a layer of stucco was applied to the wall surfaces, which, after the few remains that could still be documented, imitated ashlar at least on the outside. The flooring in the cella and the handling was modernized at the end of the 19th century. The roof construction is completely unknown. Giuliano da Sangallo made a reconstruction drawing with a dome. However, it can be assumed that he observed a similar state of preservation as it can be seen today, and that it is therefore a fantasy drawing.

Detail photos

  • View of the temple

  • The coffered ceiling in handling

  • Corinthian capitals and entablature

  • Columns and cell wall

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ For the dating and the discussion see Heide Lauter-Bufe: The history of the sikeliotisch-Korinthischen capital. von Zabern, Mainz 1987, p. 53 f. 82 f.
  2. ^ Rossbach: Catillus. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume III, 2, Stuttgart 1899, Col. 1789 f. ( Digitized version ).
  3. ↑ For discussion see Ralf Grüßinger: Decorative architectural friezes in Rome and Latium. Dissertation at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, 2001, p. 88 f. , the author leaves the judgment open.
  4. ↑ Heide Lauter-Bufe: The history of the sikeliotisch-Korinthischen capital. von Zabern, Mainz 1987, p. 53 f. No. 171-180; 82 f. Plate 40 c.
  5. ↑ CIL 14, 3573 .
  6. ^ John B. Ward-Perkins : Architettura Romana. Electa, Milan 1974, ISBN 978-88-435-2473-0
  7. ^ Antonio Venditti, Il tempio rotondo amato dagli artisti

Web links

Commons : Temple of Vesta (Tivoli)  - collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

  • Richard Delbrueck : Hellenistic Buildings in Latium. Volume 2. Trübner, Strasbourg 1912, pp. 16–22, plate 7. 10–25 ( digitized version ).
  • Cairoli Fulvio Giuliani, Zaccaria Mari: Tibur. Volume 1 (= Forma Italiae. I 14). Olschki, Florenz 1970, pp. 132-140.
  • John B. Ward Perkins: Architettura Romana. Electa, Milan 1974.
  • Filippo Coarelli : I santuari del Lazio in età repubblicana. La Nuova Italia scientifica, Rome 1987, pp. 106-109.
  • Vittorio Franchetti Pardo: L'Ellenismo. In: Corrado Bozzoni, Vittorio Franchetti Pardo, Giorgio Ortolani, Alessandro Viscogliosi: L'architettura del mondo antico. Laterza, Rom / Bari 2006, pp. 117–238, here: p. 226 and fig. 155–157.

Coordinates: 41 ° 57 ′ 59.9 ″  N , 12 ° 48 ′ 3 ″  E