Temple of Portunus and Forum Boarium - Rome
The Temple of Portunus, in Rome, is nearing the completion of a major restoration and should open to the public within the next year. It is one of the most intact examples of an ancient Roman temple due to its having been converted into a church in medieval times.
A visit to the site, near the Temple of Hercules and the beautiful medieval church, Santa Maria in Cosmedin, provides many learning opportunities. Here one gains an appreciation for the form of ancient Roman religious architecture centered around a cell. Within it a statue of the god/goddess was placed and sacrifices took place at the public area or front porch. One can see a great example of how early Christians took over these spaces and converted them into churches – focusing the liturgical action inside. The Temple of Portunus includes beautiful medieval frescos of St. Ann and the Virgin Mary.
Early Christian Diaconie
Nearby Santa Maria in Cosmedin was built in the 6th century and was one of the early “diaconie” or Christian charitable distribution centers. Some Greek monks fleeing the iconoclast dispute richly decorated the interior. The church preserves much of its original late Roman/early medieval form.
Nearby is another diaconal center: San Giorgio in Velabro. This is a beautiful church founded in the 6th or 7th century. It is of interest, in part, because the church was built recycling columns, architraves and other architectural elements from nearby buildings. Many of these early elements are still visible.
This area of Rome became less important over the centuries and, with the excavation of the Forum and Palatine Hill, of less popularity for exploring ancient Roman and early Christian sites. With the reopening of the Temple of Portunus, the area should become a more important stop for groups seeking to understand the development of religious architecture and the ministry of the early Christian community to the population of Rome.