One of Rome's best-preserved temples
Right beside the round Temple of Hercules, in the Forum Boarium, stands another ancient gem: the Temple of Portunus, one of Rome's best-preserved rectangular temples. Built in its present form around the 1st century BC, it owes its remarkable survival — like the round temple next door — to its conversion into a church in the Middle Ages. With its elegant silhouette, it is one of the most striking images of Republican Rome still standing.
The god of harbors
The temple was dedicated to Portunus, the ancient Roman deity of harbors and passageways. The dedication is no accident: the Forum Boarium grew up beside the ancient river port on the Tiber, where goods arrived by water. Portunus thus watched over the trade and commerce that kept this corner of the city alive.
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The architecture
The Temple of Portunus is a classic Ionic temple on a tall podium, with a front staircase leading up to it. It has free-standing columns across the front and engaged columns set against the walls of the cella (the so-called "pseudoperipteral" plan). Built of tufa and travertine clad in stucco, it shows all the elegance and balance of late-Republican architecture, shaped by Greek and Hellenistic models.
How to visit
The temple sits in a public area and can be admired for free from the outside at any time; the interior is usually open only on special occasions or guided tours. It pairs easily with the Temple of Hercules Victor and the Mouth of Truth / Bocca della Verità on a short walk through the Forum Boarium.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Temple of Portunus? A rectangular temple from the 1st century BC in the Forum Boarium, dedicated to Portunus, god of harbors: one of Rome's best-preserved rectangular temples.
Who was Portunus? The ancient Roman deity of harbors and passageways, worshipped here because of its closeness to the old river port on the Tiber and the trade of the Forum Boarium.
Why is it so well preserved? Like the round temple next door, it was turned into a church in the Middle Ages, which saved it from destruction.
What style is it? It's an Ionic temple on a tall podium, of "pseudoperipteral" plan, with columns across the front and engaged columns set against the walls: an elegant example of late-Republican architecture.
Can you go inside? Usually you admire it from the outside; the interior is open only on special occasions or guided tours.
See also
- Forum Boarium: the complete guide
- The Temple of Hercules Victor
- Mouth of Truth and Santa Maria in Cosmedin
- How to get to the Forum Boarium
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Article #531 · Category: Monuments · Updated: May 2026