Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva Live Cam

The Ancient Temple of Minerva: Origins and Architectural Marvel

Nestled in the heart of Assisi’s historical center, the Temple of Minerva stands as a testament to Roman engineering and religious dedication. Constructed in the 1st century BC by the quattuorviri Gnaeus Caesius and Titus Caesius Priscus, this Roman temple once showcased a typical Corinthian order façade, complete with six towering columns supporting an elegant architrave and a small triangular pediment. Although originally dedicated—by virtue of a discovered female statue—to the goddess Minerva, recent epigraphic evidence suggests the temple may have honored Hercules, reflecting the fluid nature of cult worship and interpretatio Romana in provincial cities.