An Ancient Roman Temple

Temple of Antoninus and Faustina : The temple was begun in 141 AD by the Emperor Antoninus Pius and was initially dedicated to his deceased and deified wife, Faustina the Elder. When Antoninus Pius was deified after his death in 161 AD, the temple was re-dedicated jointly to Antoninus and Faustina at the instigation of his successor, Marcus Aurelius. The building stands on a high platform of large peperino blocks. The later of two dedicatory inscriptions says, Divo Antonino et Divae Faustinae Ex S.C. meaning, “To the divine Antoninus and to the divine Faustina by decree of the Senate.” The temple was converted to a Roman Catholic church, known as San Lorenzo in Miranda, perhaps as early as the seventh century.