I continue the stay-at-home travel Art + Roman Architecture + the city of Rome with Yale’s course Roman Architecture https://www.coursera.org/learn/roman-architecture. Rome, the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus Capitolinus, Roman Architecture. 2-2.

I should admit that the information from this lecture is my favourite one so far from the course. The temple of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, was built under rule of the Etruscan King Tarquinius Priscus and completed by his grandson king Tarquinius Superbus on the Capitoline Hill in the sixth century BC. Design of the building had the huge impact for Roman and world architecture. There was a vast and beautiful Temple dedicated to three gods- Jupiter and his two female goddess companions, Minerva, the goddess of the art, wisdom, medicine, commerce, handicrafts, poetry and Juno, the goddess who protected the nation as a whole and also kept special watch over all aspects of women’s lives.

I understand why it was such a beautiful Temple… because two out of three parts were dedicated to the female goddesses, and each god had a single cella. The Temple had the triple entrance way into tree cellas of the structure. Democracy and equality for the 6th century BC, do you agree? The main temple was rebuilt several times, and all the time a colossal structure towered over the city with importance as a cultural, religious and civic center of Rome. The Temple was as beautiful as a miracle. I will add two quotes about the building from the Yale Roman Architecture course to this post:

· Roman emperor Constantia’s II in the 4 century AD articulates it grandeur well: “beside the Temple of Jupiter everything else is like earth compared to heaven”.

· Cicero, after the great fire of 83 B.C. and the rebuilding of the Temple of Jupiter OMG in marble: “Let us feel that conflagration to have been the will of heaven, and its purpose not to destroy the temple of Almighty Jupiter, but to demand of us one more splendid and magnificent!”

My painting is about the Chief temple of ancient Rome, the most important temple completed with mud brick for the podium and for the walls, wood and a red terracotta roof.

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An absolute discovery for me was that the Temple was built prior to the construction of the Parthenon in Athens (447 B.C.). Romans looked back to other nations’ architecture, what had been done by the Greeks and what had been done by the Etruscans. Romans picked and chose what they liked in each and they brought that together in an entirely new creation, with their own culture and religion. Roman architects mixed it up and creation a distinctive style, that we know now as the Roman temple. Another interesting fact is that the religious service took place outside, the priest would officiate outside the temple, and very few were allowed to go inside to see sacred cult statues.

The temple was the only building that survived after the raiding of the barbarians in the 3rd century AD. The temple stood for about 1000 years. The remains can still be seen in the Piazzale Caffarelli, now part of the Capitoline Museums, and of its garden in Rome. Our family was several times in the museum, walked along this part of the museum and did not even suspect what miracle of architecture we were passing by, we hope to return back soon and enjoy the remains of the greatest architectural project in the 6th century BC.

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All roads lead to Rome- Alain de Lille

Bon voyage! Until the next travel:) Stay healthy.

All paintings belong to the author. No image is to be copied without permission.

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Painting- Rome, Temple of Jupiter OMG, Capitolini Triad, Roman Architecture

Year of construction- Precisely in 509

Address Via del Tempio di Giove, 18, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Tools used for my painting Watercolour Charvin Savannah + Van Gogh ultramarine, Derwent, Albert Durer and Faber Castell watercolour pencils. Paper Acquarello Fabriano, grana grossa rouch watercolour album, 22×30 cm (9 ×12 in.)