Temple of Minerva, Assisi
Roman temple transformed into a church
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Temple of Minerva (Italian: Tempio di Minerva) is an ancient Roman building located in Assisi, Umbria, central Italy. Since 1539, it has housed the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, which was renovated in the Baroque style during the 17th century.
| Temple of Minerva | |
|---|---|
| Tempio di Minerva (Italian) | |
| Templum Minervae (Latin) | |
 Temple of Minerva Shown within Umbria | |
 Interactive map of Temple of Minerva | |
| 43°04′17″N 12°36′53″E | |
| Location | Assisi, Perugia, Italy |
| History | |
| Built | c. 30 BCE (Late Republican / Augustan period) |
| Built by | Gnaeus Caesius and Titus Caesius Priscus |
| Site notes | |
| Area | Piazza del Comune |
History
.jpg)
The temple was built in the 1st century BC[1] by Gnaeus Caesius and Titus Caesius Priscus, two of the city's quattuorviri, who also financed its construction. Although the temple is traditionally attributed to the goddess Minerva — due to the discovery of a female statue — a dedicatory stone to Hercules has also been found, suggesting that it may have been originally dedicated to this male demi-god.[1] During the Middle Ages, the temple served as a tribunal with an adjoining jail, as evidenced by a fresco by Giotto in the Upper Basilica of St. Francis, which depicts the barred windows of the church.
Of the ancient temple, the façade has been preserved, with six Corinthian columns supporting the architrave and a small pediment. The columns were originally covered by a very strong plaster, which was perhaps colored.[1] The cella was completely demolished during the church's construction, in the 16th century, while a small section of the temple was found in the 20th century near the altar.
The temple was visited and described by the German poet Goethe during his travels in Italy, as the first ancient structure in good condition seen during his life (1786).[2]
