Roman temple of Alcántara facts for kids
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The Roman temple of Alcántara is an ancient building in Spain. It stands next to the famous Alcántara Bridge in Extremadura, a region in the Cáceres Province. This temple is special because it's one of only two Roman temples in Spain that are still almost complete! The other one is in Vic.
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A Temple Built by Lacer
The Alcántara Bridge, a victory arch, and this temple were all designed by the same person. His name was Gaius Julius Lacer. He finished his amazing work in the year 103 AD. Lacer built the temple to honor the Roman emperors who were seen as gods. He also dedicated it to the gods of Rome.
Historians think Lacer might have been from the local area. But the way the temple is built looks a lot like buildings from Italica, an old Roman city. This suggests Lacer might have studied in what is now Italy. Or maybe he was born there and later moved to the Roman province of Lusitania (which included parts of modern Spain and Portugal).
From Temple to Chapel
If the temple was still being used for Roman worship, it would have been closed down. This happened when Christian emperors ruled in the 300s AD. They stopped the worship of other gods.
Later, in 1169, the city of Cáceres was taken by Ferdinand II of Leon. The temple was then changed into a Christian chapel dedicated to Saint Julian. This change helped keep the building safe and well-preserved over many centuries. When it became a chapel, a bell tower was added. A skull and crossbones were also put there.
The temple eventually became an important stop for people on a long journey. This journey was a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Gaius Julius Lacer, the architect, was buried inside the temple. His tomb can still be seen there today.
How the Temple Looks
The Alcántara temple is a small, rectangular building. It's called a "votive temple," meaning it was built as an offering. It has one main room, or "cella." The temple is made from strong granite stone.
Key Architectural Features
The entrance to the temple has two Tuscan columns on either side. You reach the entrance by climbing an outdoor staircase. The roof is gabled, meaning it slopes down on two sides like a triangle. It's made of large stone slabs.
At the front, above the entrance, there's a triangular part called a pediment. It has simple edges but no decorations. The design of the temple's front reminds some people of the Treasury of Athens. This was another ancient building in Delphi, Greece. Both the bridge and the temple are built using granite blocks that are all the same size. This shows great skill in Roman building.
Inscriptions and Messages
On the lintel (the beam above the doorway) of the temple, there are inscriptions. These are words carved into the stone. The ones you see today are not the very first ones. They are copies made later, which the inscription itself explains.
These inscriptions tell us that the architect, Gaius Julius Lacer, dedicated the temple to Emperor Trajan.
IMP.NERVAE.TRAIANO.CAESARI.AVG.GERM.DAC.SACRVM
Templum in rupe Tagi superis et Caesare plenum
ars ubi materia vincitur ipsa sua.
Quis quali dederit voto fortasse requiret
cura viatorum quos nova fama iuvat.
Ingentem vasta pontem qui mole peregit
sacra litaturo fecit honore Lacer.
Qui pontem fecit Lacer et nova templa dicavit,
illic se solvunt, hic sibi vota litant.
Pontem perpetui mansurum in saecula mundi
fecit divina nobilis arte Lacer.
Idem Romuleis templum cum Caesare divis
constituit felix utraque causa sacri.
C(aius) Iulius Lacer h(oc) s(acellum) f(ecit) et dedicavit amico Curio Lacone Igeditano
Hunc titulum procellis abrasum Philippus IV renovari, marmori denuo incidi Elisabeth II decrevit.
CIL 02, 00761
English translation:
To Emperor Nerva, Trajan, Caesar Augustus, Germanicus, Dacic, is enshrined
this temple, the live rock of the Tagus, occupied by the Divine and the Caesar,
art where Nature overcome itself.
Perhaps the curiosity of the travelers, whom the celebrity of the new it like,
inquire whom and under what vote, offered this temple.
Who built the great bridge of huge factory was Lacer,
to offer with great solemnity the sacrifices.
Who made the bridge, Lacer, also dedicated the new temples:
in that are met his votes, in this devote his offerings.
The illustrious Lacer, with divine art, made the bridge
to last forever in the ages of the perpetual world.
The same man set up the temple
devoted to the Roman gods along with Caesar, happy for each sacred construction.
Gaius Julius Lacer made this temple and dedicated it with his friend Curius Laco Igaeditanus (from the town of Idanha-a-Velha).
This inscription, weathered by storms, Philip IV ordered to be restored and Isabel II ordered it to be newly cut in marble.
See also
In Spanish: Templo romano de Alcántara para niños
- List of Ancient Roman temples
