Temple of Augustus in Pula: the Roman temple on the forum
The Temple of Augustus is a well-preserved Roman temple on the main square of Pula in Istria, known in Roman times as Pietas Iulia. Dedicated to Rome and the first emperor, it was built in Augustus's lifetime and is admired for its Corinthian porch and richly decorated frieze. With the Maison Carrée in Nîmes, it is counted among the best complete Roman monuments outside Italy.
This Roman temple survived because it became a church, then a granary, even a stable. In 1944 a bomb almost destroyed it, and by 1947 it had been put back together.
The history of the Temple of Augustus
The temple stood on the forum of the Roman colony of Pietas Iulia, today Pula. Italian sources say it rose on the podium of an earlier sanctuary and belonged to a wider plan to renew the cities under Rome in honour of the new imperial order. It was built on a podium with a tetrastyle prostyle porch of Corinthian columns, in the demanding opus isodomum technique, and measures about 8 by 17.3 m and 14 m in height. Its richly decorated frieze resembles that of the somewhat larger Maison Carrée in Nîmes.
It was part of a group of three temples. The Temple of Augustus stood to the left of a larger central temple, and a similar temple of the goddess Diana stood on the other side. The central temple is lost, but the whole rear wall of the Temple of Diana can still be seen, because it was built into the Communal Palace of 1296. The temple's dedication was made of bronze letters fixed to the architrave; only the nail holes survive. It read, in translation, “to Roma and Augustus Caesar, son of the deified, father of the fatherland”.
That wording lets archaeologists date the building to the late Augustan period. It does not call Augustus divus, a title given only after death, and it uses the title Pater Patriae, voted to him in 2 BC. The temple therefore dates from between then and his death in AD 14. It was closed when pagan cults were suppressed at the end of the 4th century. Under Byzantine rule it became a church, which explains its survival. It was later a granary and, in the 18th century, a stable. In the 16th century Andrea Palladio described it in his architectural treatise, and in the early 19th century it housed a first collection of ancient stone monuments.
Houses were built around the temple over the centuries, and by the late 19th century it stood partly hidden at the corner of the market. The buildings crowding it were demolished between 1920 and 1925, and the architect Alessandro Rimini restored it to its original form. An Allied air raid in 1944 struck it with a bomb and almost completely destroyed it; it was reconstructed by 1947. Today it serves as a lapidary displaying Roman sculpture.
Curiosities about the Temple of Augustus
- Like the Pantheon and the Maison Carrée, the temple owes its survival to being turned into a church.
- The bronze letters of the dedication are gone; visitors see only the small holes where they were nailed to the architrave.
- It was not dedicated to the deified Augustus, which shows that it was built while the emperor was still alive.
- In the 18th century the scholar Scipione Maffei suggested moving the temple to Venice together with Pula's amphitheatre, but the cost was too high.
- Andrea Palladio included a description of the temple in his I quattro libri dell'architettura.
- A bomb hit the temple only about two months before the end of the Second World War, yet it was rebuilt from 1945 to 1947.
Tours near Temple of Augustus
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting the Temple of Augustus
- The temple stands on the old forum, today the central square of Pula, so it is easy to fit into a walk through the old town.
- Look at the architrave above the four front columns: the holes mark where the bronze dedication letters once were.
- The small interior can be visited and holds a few important finds from the Archaeological Museum of Istria. Check the current opening hours before you go.
- Beside the temple you can see the rear wall of the Temple of Diana, built into the Communal Palace.
- Other Roman monuments in this guide, such as the Arch of the Sergii and Porta Gemina, lie within walking distance.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Temple of Augustus is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Temple of Augustus
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Questions
Where is the Temple of Augustus in Pula?
It stands on the old forum, now the main square of Pula, in the centre of the old town.
When was the Temple of Augustus built?
It was built during Augustus's lifetime, in the late Augustan period and before his death in AD 14.
Why has the Temple of Augustus survived so well?
It was converted into a church under Byzantine rule, which protected it. It was later a granary, was hit by a bomb in 1944 and was rebuilt by 1947.
What does the inscription on the Temple of Augustus say?
It was a dedication to Roma and Augustus Caesar, son of the deified, father of the fatherland. Only the holes for the bronze letters remain.
What is inside the Temple of Augustus?
The small interior serves as a lapidary with Roman sculpture and a few finds from the Archaeological Museum of Istria.
How does the Temple of Augustus compare with the Maison Carrée?
Their friezes are similar, and the two temples are considered the best complete Roman monuments outside Italy. The Maison Carrée in Nîmes is somewhat larger.
Also nearby
Chapel of St Mary Formosa
Pula · sixth-century chapel, last trace of a lost basilica
300 m away
Arch of the Sergii
Pula · Roman arch built by a woman's gift
450 m away
Porta Gemina
Pula · twin-arched Roman gate that survived burial
450 m away
Fort Punta Christo
Pula · vast Austro-Hungarian fort guarding the bay
4 km away