Temple Of Vesta
Located in a Small Valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, within the Forum Romanum or the Roman Forum, the Temple of Vesta or Atrium Vestae was one of the earliest structures in the Roman Forum from 3rd century B.C. It was a most important sanctuary of Rome, dedicated to Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth, and over whose cult the Vestal Virgins presided. All incarnations of the temple featured a circular cella, where the sacred hearth was and the eternal fire burned.
6 Vestal Virgins were Priestesses of the Temple; Their Quarters were the Atrium Vesta (or house of the Vestal Virgins. The Vestalia took place Each June 9th. The shrine contained the sacred hearth of the goddess, and the flame had to be relit by he Vestals each June 9th from rubbing 2 sticks together. There they also kept sacred water and sacred cake (Mola Salsa) used in many rites of the state religion. The Temple of Vesta also contained “holy objects”, including the Palladium, a statue if Athene which some Romans believed Aeneas rescued from the flames of Troy.
"Some are of the opinion that these vestals had no other business than the preservation fire, but others conceive that they were keepers of other divine secrets, concealed from all but themselves."- Plutarch
Vestal Virgins were chosen to be what they were at the Age of 6 to 10 (before Puberty), they have a vow of chastity and devote their Time to Goddess Vesta and the rituals.
The Architecture of This Structure is Fascinating, Created by an Architect called Numa Pompilius. Vitruvius States that the Temple of Vesta had Columns the height of 7.10 meters or 24 Roman feet, compared with the inner cella diameter of 7.10 meters. This has a close similarity directly to Vitruvius's princple that the column height should be equal to the inna cella diameter. The Temples over all Diameter is 14.20 meters or 48 Roman feet. The Temple of Vesta is a Good example of the Italian Transformation of The Corinthian style that is distinct from Hellenistic. The Temple of Vesta is composed of 18 of these fluted Corinthian style columns, and a Hellenistic entablature with a frieze decorated with ox heads, garlands, rosettes, and paterae. The Temple was built with Opus caementicium or Roman concrete, the Round concrete core, surrounded at its base by serveral layers of tufa blocks.
"Some are of the opinion that these vestals had no other business than the preservation fire, but others conceive that they were keepers of other divine secrets, concealed from all but themselves."- Plutarch
Vestal Virgins were chosen to be what they were at the Age of 6 to 10 (before Puberty), they have a vow of chastity and devote their Time to Goddess Vesta and the rituals.
The Architecture of This Structure is Fascinating, Created by an Architect called Numa Pompilius. Vitruvius States that the Temple of Vesta had Columns the height of 7.10 meters or 24 Roman feet, compared with the inner cella diameter of 7.10 meters. This has a close similarity directly to Vitruvius's princple that the column height should be equal to the inna cella diameter. The Temples over all Diameter is 14.20 meters or 48 Roman feet. The Temple of Vesta is a Good example of the Italian Transformation of The Corinthian style that is distinct from Hellenistic. The Temple of Vesta is composed of 18 of these fluted Corinthian style columns, and a Hellenistic entablature with a frieze decorated with ox heads, garlands, rosettes, and paterae. The Temple was built with Opus caementicium or Roman concrete, the Round concrete core, surrounded at its base by serveral layers of tufa blocks.
The Entrance of the Temple was pointed towards East, like the Orientation of all ancient Greek and Roman temples. The remains of the building as they are today, i.e. Julia Domna's rebuild project, was performed on a podium in opus caementicium, with a diameter of 15 meters, the coating was done in marble. its said that the Temple was Circular to stress the focus on the central part of the temple, the Hearth fire, which the Vestrial Virgins kept alight eternally.
The Temple's most recognisable feature is its cirular footprint. Since the worship of Vesta began in private homes, the architecture seems to be a reminder of its history. The Remaining structure indicated that there were twenty Corinthian columns built on a podium all 15 meters in diameter.
1. What were the duties of the Vestal Virgins?
2. what type of Columns were they?
The Temple's most recognisable feature is its cirular footprint. Since the worship of Vesta began in private homes, the architecture seems to be a reminder of its history. The Remaining structure indicated that there were twenty Corinthian columns built on a podium all 15 meters in diameter.
1. What were the duties of the Vestal Virgins?
2. what type of Columns were they?
This is a video of what The Temple of Vesta looked like by Altair4 Multimedia Archeo3D Production
Bibliography
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/romanforum/vesta.html
http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/172_Temple_of_Vesta.html
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/Forum_Romanum/_Texts/Huelsen*/2/32.html
http://archive1.village.virginia.edu/spw4s/RomanForum/GoogleEarth/AK_GE/AK_HTML/TS-064.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestal_Virgin
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/romanforum/vesta.html
http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/172_Temple_of_Vesta.html
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/Forum_Romanum/_Texts/Huelsen*/2/32.html
http://archive1.village.virginia.edu/spw4s/RomanForum/GoogleEarth/AK_GE/AK_HTML/TS-064.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestal_Virgin