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All Spain Barcelona Columns of the Temple of Augustus

Columns of the Temple of Augustus

The 2,000-year-old Roman columns are hidden within Barcelona's Gothic Quarter.

Barcelona, Spain

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bquetglas
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Columns of the Temple of Augustus.   Jesús Arpón/CC BY-SA 3.0
Columns of the Temple of Augustus.   Jesús Arpón/CC BY-SA 3.0
Temple of Augustus.   Carole Raddato/CC BY-SA 2.0
The columns   Klara / Atlas Obscura User
The columns   Klara / Atlas Obscura User
Majority of the remaining columns enclosed by apartments   Schweg / Atlas Obscura User
Remains of the Temple os Augustus   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Columns of the Temple of Augustus.   Enfo/CC BY-SA 3.0
Columnas   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
An honorary pedestal found from the forum of the temple is on display.   njanks / Atlas Obscura User
  njanks / Atlas Obscura User
From inside the surrounding building   The Bearded Vagabond / Atlas Obscura User
  mmmyoso / Atlas Obscura User
  sanprica / Atlas Obscura User
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About

One of the oldest treasures in Barcelona is also one of the most hidden. Located in the city’s Gothic quarter, four 2,000-year-old columns from the Roman Empire’s Imperial Period are guarded by the building that houses the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya (Hiking Club of Catalonia).

The temple was built to honor Emperor Augustus and once towered over the ancient Roman city of Barcino. It was constructed of sandstone from nearby Montjuïc Hill and at least partially plastered over. The 120-foot-long building was built in the first century. It was surrounded by numerous 30-foot-tall columns, but now only four remain.

Most of the stones from the temple were reused for other buildings. Three of the columns remained intact, forming part of the inside of a new structure. They were found in the 15th century, but no one could figure out their origin until the 19th century, when it was discovered they were in fact the remains of a Roman temple.

The fourth column was rebuilt from the remains of the other columns and erected in the Plaça del Rei (King’s Square) in 1879, where it stayed until 1956 when it was moved to the spot where it stands now, next to the original three columns, which have never been moved. Though they rest on bits of plinth from the original structure, the ancient building is otherwise gone.

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Roman Empire Temples History Columns Ruins Ancient

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bquetglas

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jrancheta, mmmyoso, Schweg, Michael Inscoe...

  • jrancheta
  • mmmyoso
  • Schweg
  • Michael Inscoe
  • Klara
  • The Bearded Vagabond
  • Xavixavir
  • sanprica
  • njanks

Published

September 21, 2017

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  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Augustus,_Barcelona
Columns of the Temple of Augustus
Carrer del Paradís, 10
Barcelona
Spain
41.383494, 2.177286
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