Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus built

508 BCE.

Shown on the map at 41.892°, 12.482°.

The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, also known as the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus (Latin: Aedes Iovis Optimi Maximi Capitolini; Italian: Tempio di Giove Ottimo Massimo; lit. 'Temple of Jupiter, the Best and Greatest'), was the most important temple in Ancient Rome, located on the Capitoline Hill. It was surrounded by the Area Capitolina, a precinct where numerous shrines, altars, statues and victory trophies were displayed. Traditionally dedicated in 509 BC, the first building was the oldest and most important large temple in Archaic Rome. It was the largest in the Italian world and reflected the wealth of Rome at the end of the Etruscan period. Like many temples in central Italy, it shared features with Etruscan architecture; sources report that Etruscan specialists were brought in for various aspects of its construction, including the making and painting of antefixes and other terracotta decorations. Built of wood, this temple was destroyed by fire in 83 BC. Its reconstruction employed craftsmen summoned from Greece, and the new building is presumed to have been essentially Greek in style, though like other Roman temples it retained many elements of Etruscan form.

Text from the Wikipedia article Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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