.jpg) Reconstructed remains of the Temple of Vesta | |
   Temple of Vesta Shown within Augustan Rome | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| Location | Regio VIII Forum Romanum |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°53′30″N 12°29′10″E / 41.8917°N 12.4862°E |
| Type | Roman Old kingdom |
| History | |
| Builder | Unknown builder |
| Founded | unknown old Kingdom era |
The Temple of Vesta, or the aedes (Latin Aedes Vestae; Italian: Tempio di Vesta), is an ancient edifice in Rome, Italy. It is located in the Roman Forum near the Regia and the House of the Vestal Virgins. The Temple of Vesta housed Vesta's holy fire, which was a symbol of Rome's safety and prosperity.[1] The temple has a circular footprint, making it a tholos.
Since the worship of Vesta began in private homes, the architecture seems to pay homage to the architecture of early Roman homes. The temple's current, ruinous form employs elements of Greek architecture with Corinthian columns and marble. The sacred hearth was housed in a central cella. The surviving structure indicates that there were twenty Corinthian columns built on a podium fifteen meters in diameter. The roof probably had a vent at the apex to allow smoke to escape.[2]
- ^ Wright, William Aldis; Bywater, Ingram; Jackson, Henry (5 July 2015). The Journal of Philology. Volume 14. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-52367-7. OCLC 915339299.
- ^ Wright, Richard Everett (1999). Vesta : a study on the origin of a goddess and her cultus. Bell & Howell. OCLC 477152057.