Roman temple of Vic
Encyclopedia
Roman Temple of Vic is located in the uptown area of Vic (Street Pare Xifrer), in the heart of Osona
, Catalonia
(Spain
).
. The temples
were a basic part of every Roman city, yet it unknow the whereabouts of this one in particular until the late date of 1882. In the 11th century, the temple was literally covered by the structure of the Castle of els Montcada, later became the residence of the Veguers
and finally, in the prison of Vic
. Was not until 1882, during the procedures of demolition of the old castle, when the workers spotted with astonishment the Roman temple
in very good condition.
towers above the podium, which is accessed via a front staircase. The column
s are smooth, with the Corinthian
capitals and entablature
crowning the cella
.
Osona (comarca)
Osona is a comarca situated in central Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Vic. Its population is 129,543. Osona covers roughly the same area as the historic Catalan county of Osona. The name Osona comes from Ausetans, a group of Iberian people that had their capital in Ausa ; the Romans called the...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
).
History
The building was built in the early 2nd century, the golden age of the Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The temples
Roman temple
Ancient Roman temples are among the most visible archaeological remains of Roman culture, and are a significant source for Roman architecture. Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion. The main room housed the cult image of the deity to whom the temple was...
were a basic part of every Roman city, yet it unknow the whereabouts of this one in particular until the late date of 1882. In the 11th century, the temple was literally covered by the structure of the Castle of els Montcada, later became the residence of the Veguers
Vegueria
The vegueria was the feudal administrative territorial jurisdiction of the Principality of Catalonia during the Middle Ages and into the Modern Era until the Nueva Planta decrees of 1716...
and finally, in the prison of Vic
Vic
Vic is the capital of the comarca of Osona, in the Barcelona Province, Catalonia, Spain. Vic's location, only 69 km far from Barcelona and 60 km from Girona, has made it one of the most important towns in central Catalonia.-History:...
. Was not until 1882, during the procedures of demolition of the old castle, when the workers spotted with astonishment the Roman temple
Roman temple
Ancient Roman temples are among the most visible archaeological remains of Roman culture, and are a significant source for Roman architecture. Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion. The main room housed the cult image of the deity to whom the temple was...
in very good condition.
Architecture
Despite the many utilities that took the place, the condition of the temple is outstanding. The columned porticoPortico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
towers above the podium, which is accessed via a front staircase. The column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s are smooth, with the Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
capitals and entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
crowning the cella
Cella
A cella or naos , is the inner chamber of a temple in classical architecture, or a shop facing the street in domestic Roman architecture...
.