Roman Temple of Évora

The Roman Temple of Évora is the best-preserved Roman structure in Portugal and one of the finest on the Iberian Peninsula. Fourteen of the original columns still stand on their granite podium in the centre of the old town, their Corinthian capitals intact after nearly two thousand years. The temple's survival is unusual: most Roman buildings in Portugal were systematically dismantled for building material in the centuries after the Empire's collapse.

The setting is excellent — the temple sits elevated above the surrounding streets with a terrace that looks out over the cathedral and the city's terracotta rooflines toward the cork oak plains beyond. Visit in the late afternoon when the columns catch the warm Alentejo light. Access is from the surrounding terrace; there is no entry fee to view the exterior.

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A story
The temple is popularly called the "Temple of Diana," but Diana had nothing to do with it. The name was invented in the 18th century, probably because Diana was the first Roman deity that came to mind. Archaeologists believe it was dedicated to the imperial cult — likely to the Emperor Augustus — and built in the 1st or 2nd century CE. The fourteen surviving Corinthian columns escaped demolition in the Middle Ages because the temple was used as a slaughterhouse, its thick walls and elevated position making it convenient for the purpose.