Temple of Augustus in Barcelona
Encyclopedia
The Temple of Augustus in Barcelona was a Roman temple
built during the Imperial period
in the colony of Barcino
(modern day Barcelona
) as a place of worship for Emperor Augustus. It was the central building on Tàber Hill
, currently in Carrer del Paradís number 10, in the city's so-called Gothic Quarter. At one point in history the temple was demolished, and its ruins were not discovered until late 19th century, when three of its columns appeared on the construction site of Centre Excursionista de Catalunya. A fourth column was then exhibited at the Plaça del Rei and was later added to the structure, as it can be seen nowadays. The temple is likely to have been built under Tiberius
, who instituted a cult
of Augustus.
According to Josep Puig i Cadafalch
, architect Antoni Celles wrote once a complete description and a map of the temple during excavations as early as 1830 financed by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce. Puig i Cadafalch confirmed Celles's hypothesis that the temple would have been dedicated to Augustus. He also describes it formally as being a peripteral temple with 11 columns on each wing, including corner columns, and with 6 on the front and further 6 on the posticum. The whole building would have been 35 x 17.5 metres in size, erected on a podium a third the height of the columns.
It was named a Cultural Asset of National Interest (Catalan
: Bé cultural d'interés nacional) in 1931.
Roman temple
Ancient Roman temples are among the most visible archaeological remains of Roman culture, and are a significant source for Roman architecture. Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion. The main room housed the cult image of the deity to whom the temple was...
built during the Imperial period
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in the colony of Barcino
Barcino
Barcino may refer to:*Barcelona, Spain - Barcino in Latin*Barcino, Poland**Barcino...
(modern day Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
) as a place of worship for Emperor Augustus. It was the central building on Tàber Hill
Taber Hill
Taber Hill also spelled Tabor Hill is an Iroquois burial mound in Toronto, Ontario. It is located near Lawrence and Bellamy in Scarborough. The cemetery was discovered on August 17, 1956 when a steam shovel was in the process of demolishing The 60 foot high hill...
, currently in Carrer del Paradís number 10, in the city's so-called Gothic Quarter. At one point in history the temple was demolished, and its ruins were not discovered until late 19th century, when three of its columns appeared on the construction site of Centre Excursionista de Catalunya. A fourth column was then exhibited at the Plaça del Rei and was later added to the structure, as it can be seen nowadays. The temple is likely to have been built under Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
, who instituted a cult
Imperial cult
An imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor, or a dynasty of emperors , are worshipped as messiahs, demigods or deities. "Cult" here is used to mean "worship", not in the modern pejorative sense...
of Augustus.
According to Josep Puig i Cadafalch
Josep Puig i Cadafalch
Josep Puig i Cadafalch was a Spanish Catalan Modernista architect who designed many significant buildings in Barcelona...
, architect Antoni Celles wrote once a complete description and a map of the temple during excavations as early as 1830 financed by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce. Puig i Cadafalch confirmed Celles's hypothesis that the temple would have been dedicated to Augustus. He also describes it formally as being a peripteral temple with 11 columns on each wing, including corner columns, and with 6 on the front and further 6 on the posticum. The whole building would have been 35 x 17.5 metres in size, erected on a podium a third the height of the columns.
It was named a Cultural Asset of National Interest (Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
: Bé cultural d'interés nacional) in 1931.
See also
- Temple of Divus AugustusTemple of Divus AugustusThe Temple of Divus Augustus was a major temple originally built to commemorate the deified first Roman emperor, Augustus. It was built between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, behind the Basilica Julia, on the site of the house that Augustus had inhabited before he entered public life in the...
- Temple of Augustus (Pula)Temple of Augustus (Pula)The Temple of Augustus is a well-preserved Roman temple in the city of Pula, Croatia . Dedicated to the first Roman emperor, Augustus, it was probably built during the emperor's lifetime at some point between 2 BC and his death in AD 14...
- Temple of Augustus in AncyraMonumentum AncyranumThe name Monumentum Ancyranum refers to the Temple of Augustus and Rome in Ancyra , or to the inscription Res Gestae Divi Augusti, a text recounting the deeds of the first Roman emperor Augustus, the most intact copy of which is preserved on the walls of this temple.The temple was built between 25...