Temple of Vespasian and Titus

At the western end of the Roman Forum, the Temple of Vespasian and Titus stands between the Temples of Saturn and Concord, against the Capitoline hill. Only three Corinthian columns and part of the entablature remain, but their height and carved details give a clear sense of the temple’s former scale. Look for the frieze of sacrificial instruments and ox skulls. A reconstruction is displayed in the Tabularium, accessible from the Musei Capitolini, and the area also gives elevated views across ancient Rome.

The temple’s place in the Forum

The temple stands at the western end of the Roman Forum, between the Temples of Saturn and Concord, with the Capitoline hill behind it. Its position was shaped by the Tabularium, whose retaining wall pressed close to the temple’s podium. The site is compact, with the remains set among other monuments at the Forum’s western edge.

The temple was dedicated to Vespasian after his death. His sons Titus and Domitian completed the building, and it was later restored by Septimius Severus. Its role as a shrine to the deified emperor connected the Flavian family with formal public worship.

Columns, podium and carved frieze

Three Corinthian columns and part of the entablature are still visible. The surviving stone gives a sense of the temple’s scale and architectural finish, even though most of the building is gone. The temple’s podium and fragments of its cella also remain.

Look along the entablature for a frieze carved with sacrificial instruments and ox skulls. These details linked the building’s decoration to public ritual. To see a reconstruction of the temple, enter the Tabularium through the Musei Capitolini; the display helps explain the surviving fragments in the Forum.