Ruins of the Roman Temple of Évora
When I was on top of the roof of the cathedral of Évora, I noticed that I was already near the city center. What’s more I noticed a structure which seemed to be out of place in the city. Upon closer inspection, I found out that there are the ruins of a Roman Temple here. It is an amazing relic from the time of the Romans. The temple is incorrectly named the Temple of Diana, since it was first believed that it was dedicated to the goddess Diana. It is now believed that the temple is dedicated to Emperor Augustus who was treated as a god.
Corinthian Colums of the Ruins of the Roman Temple of Évora
The temple was in use until the fifth century in which time it was destroyed by invading forces. Parts of the temple have been used in the construction of the castle in Évora. However some of the columns of the temple have been left behind. These days, after some restoration, the Roman Temple of Évora is a shadow of itself. The remaining columns go around only half of the temple’s site. It stands as a reminder of an era long past. It is great that this ancient structure was salvaged and one wonders how it looked like before. There were sketches which show how it was back then and it looked more like a castle than a temple.
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