The temple stands directly on the main piazza of Assisi — a perfectly preserved Roman temple front of the first century BC, with six fluted Corinthian columns and a plain pediment, today fronting a small baroque church. It is one of the best-preserved Roman temple facades in Italy, surviving because it was converted into the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in 1539.
The contrast between the ancient columns and the gold-and-stucco baroque interior is jarring but worth a few minutes. The wider Piazza del Comune around it has been Assisi's main square since Roman times, and the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo and the medieval Torre del Popolo opposite complete the ensemble.