The Roman Temple of Évora

The Roman Temple of Évora, mistakenly known as Temple of Diana, is located in the city of Évora, in Portugal. It is part of the historic city center, which has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

It is one of the most famous landmarks in the city and one of the most significant symbols of the Roman presence in Portuguese territory. It is located in Largo Conde de Vila Flor, in the parish of Sé and São Pedro, in conjunction with the Sé de Évora, Court of the Inquisition, Church and Convent of Lóios, the Évora Public Library and the Museum.

The temple was located at the highest point of the acropolis of the Roman city, originally part of an urban complex known as the forum, which was usually the center of a Roman city, surrounded by a portico. The temple itself was surrounded by a water tank, demonstrating that the aquatic element would be of great importance, from a religious point of view. The complex could also have included a basilica, whose columns shared some characteristics with those of the Roman temple.

The Roman Temple of Évora is considered one of the best preserved buildings of its type in the entire Iberian Peninsula, and is a unique example in Portugal. The monument became known as the Temple of Diana due to a theory advanced by the Jesuit priest Manuel Fialho in the 17th century, which was dedicated to Diana, Roman goddess of hunting, and the similarities with the Temple of Diana, in the Spanish city of Mérida.

The denomination of Temple of Diana remained until the 1980s and 1990s, when it was discovered that the temple had been dedicated to Emperor Augustus.