Temple of Venus

After 26 years of restoration work, the Temple of Venus and Roma (in Latin, Templum Veneris et Romae) is now open to the public again. Built by the Roman Emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius from 121 to 141 A.D., the Temple of Venus and Roma is thought to have been the largest temple in Ancient Rome.
Entrance to the Temple of Venus and Roma, within the area of the Roman Forum, is to the left of the Arch of Titus as you face the Coliseum.
The Temple of Venus and Roma was originally situated at the far east side of the Roman Forum, near the Coliseum and it was devoted to the divinities Venus the Bringer of Good Fortune(Venus Felix) and Eternal Rome (Roma Aeterna). The structure measured 110 metres (350 ft) in length and 53 metres (150 ft) in width, and it is thought to have been the biggest temple in ancient Rome. The temple included two main chambers, where stood the cult statue of the goddess of love and beauty, Venus, and the statue of the goddess of Rome, Roma, both of them seated on a throne. The two chambers were positioned back-to-back. The idea of placing the two goddesses of Venus and Roma back-to-back in a temple was not a fortuitous decision. Venus represented love (in Latin: Amor) and Amor is Roma spelled backwards, so their back-to-back position in the temple created a symmetry with the specularity of their names.
Entrance to the temple is included in the ticket which gives you access to the Coliseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. You can visit the Temple of Venus and Roma every day from 8.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The site is open every day of the year but January 1st and December 25th. Audio guide and guided tours can be arranged. Be advised that the ticket office closes one hour before the site closing time. You can easily get to the Temple of Venus and Roma by bus, with lines 60, 75, 84, 85, 87, 117, 175, 186, 271, 571, 810 and 850, or by Metro B line, getting off at Colosseo stop.

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