The temple of Venus and Rome reopens after long restoration
ELISABETTA POVOLEDO
HERALD TRIBUNE – 13 novembre 2010
The Temple of Venus and of Rome — once one of Rome's most majestic and largest shrines — reopened to the public last week after a long restoration. "This temple has been both a school and course of study for many," said Claudia Del Monte, who began working on the restoration 23 years ago and directed the project. The temple, at the east end of the Roman Forum near the Coloseum, consists mostly of ruins, with one large vault still standing. The original building was about or 110 meters, or 360 feet, long, and about half as wide. It was restored to protect the structure and allow study. A ticket into the Forum complex ( 12, or 17) allows access to the temple area. Begun by the Emperor Hadrian and inaugurated in A.D. 141 by his successor, Antoninus Pius, the temple was later restored after a fire in the fourth century. Deputy Culture Minister Francesco Giro said the reopening of the temple was part of a larger program to safeguard Rome's archaeological sites.
