Temple of Augustus, Barcelona facts for kids
The Temple of Augustus in Barcelona was an ancient Roman temple built a long time ago. It was built during the time of the Roman Empire in a place called Barcino. Today, Barcino is known as Barcelona, a big city in Spain. This temple was a very important building. It stood on a small hill called Tàber Hill. You can still see parts of it today at Carrer del Paradís number 10, in Barcelona's old Gothic Quarter. People traditionally believe it was built to honor Emperor Augustus, but we don't have full proof of this.
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Finding the Temple: A Hidden History
If the temple was still being used around the 300s AD, it would have been closed down. This happened because the Christian emperors at the time stopped people from practicing other religions. At some point, the temple was taken apart. Its remains stayed hidden for a long time.
When Were the Ruins Discovered?
The ruins of the temple were not found until the late 1800s. Workers were building a new site for the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya. That's when they found three of its large columns! Later, a fourth column was found and put on display in a place called Plaça del Rei. This column was then moved and added to the other three. You can see all four columns standing together today.
What Did Experts Say About the Temple?
An architect named Antoni Celles wrote a detailed description of the temple. This was as early as 1830, when some digging was done. A famous architect named Josep Puig i Cadafalch later looked at Celles's work. He agreed that the temple was likely built for Emperor Augustus.
Puig i Cadafalch also described what the temple probably looked like. He said it was a peripteral temple. This means it had columns all around its outside. It likely had eleven columns on each long side, including the ones at the corners. It also had six columns at the front and six at the back. The whole building was quite large, about 35 meters long and 17.5 meters wide. It stood on a raised platform, or podium, which was about one-third the height of the columns.
Protecting a Piece of History
In 1931, the Temple of Augustus was given a special title. It was named a Cultural Asset of National Interest. In Catalan, this is called Bé cultural d'interés nacional. This means it's a very important historical site that needs to be protected. Today, the Temple of Augustus is one of the special places managed by the Barcelona City History Museum (MUHBA).
Images for kids
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The columns of the Temple of Augustus in Carrer del Paradís.
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The Temple of Augustus ruins at the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya.
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The Temple of Augustus, built for Emperor Augustus in ancient Barcino.
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