Temple of Venus and Roma

We stand today upon the Velian Hill, a vantage point of immense historical gravity. Before us lie the remains of the Temple of Venus and Roma, which was, in its prime, the largest and most magnificent temple in all of ancient…

As we walk along the base of the massive podium, we must address the fascinating intellectual drama that surrounded the temple's creation. Emperor Hadrian, a true 'Phi-hel-lene' or lover of Greek culture, decided to act as his…

We now approach the center of the temple, where the two great 'cel-lae' or inner chambers were located. The most striking feature of Hadrian's design was the back-to-back arrangement of these sanctuaries. …

The history of this temple is also a story of resilience. In the late 3rd or early 4th century—records differ between 283 and 307 AD—a devastating fire broke out in the Roman Forum, severely damaging the Temple of Venus and Roma. …

Let us focus our attention on the western cella, the sanctuary of Roma E-tur-na. From this spot, the goddess would have looked out over the Roman Forum, the political and social heart of the empire. …

Now, let us walk to the eastern side, the cella of Venus Fe-lix. Here, the goddess of Love and Fortune looked out toward the massive Flavian Amphitheatre, better known as the Colosseum. …

In our final stop on the temple grounds, we must reflect on the sheer magnificence of what was lost. I want you to imagine the roof of this building as it appeared in the 2nd century: covered entirely in gilded bronze tiles. …

As we depart from the Velian Hill and the Temple of Venus and Roma, take a moment to look back. We have journeyed through the mind of an emperor who was also an architect, explored a symbolic palindrome that linked the city to…