Can you go inside the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina?

Usually not. The building is now the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda, and its interior is not part of the normal Roman Forum visit and is rarely open to the public. You see the temple from the Via Sacra in front, where the columns, inscription and church facade are all clearly visible from the path.

Why is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina so well preserved?

It was converted into a church in the Middle Ages, and buildings that stayed in use were rarely stripped for stone like most Forum temples. Its ancient walls became the church walls, and the columns were left standing in front. The facade behind the columns was added in the early seventeenth century, giving the building its unusual mix.

What do the grooves on the columns mean?

The deep diagonal cuts high on several columns are commonly explained as marks from ropes or chains used in an attempt to pull the columns down for reuse as building material. The attempt failed, and the columns stayed in place. The explanation is traditional rather than documented in detail, but the marks are easy to spot from the path.

Is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina included in the Colosseum ticket?

It stands inside the Roman Forum, so a ticket covering the Forum and Palatine area includes it, such as the standard Colosseum combined ticket. There is no separate ticket just for the temple. Ticket types and included sites change, so check the official Parco archeologico del Colosseo website before you book your visit.

Temple of Antoninus and Faustina: The Roman Temple That Became…

Front of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina with inscription and church facade behind the columns — The Roman columns and inscription stand in front of the church facade added in the early 1600s.

What is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina?

It is the best-preserved temple in the Roman Forum: a porch of ten tall marble columns on the Via Sacra with a Baroque church facade rising behind them. Emperor Antoninus Pius built it in AD 141 for his wife Faustina after she died and was declared a goddess. When Antoninus himself died in 161, the Senate rededicated it to both of them.

You can read that history in the inscription: the lower line honours the deified Faustina, and the upper line, added later, honours the deified Antoninus. EX S C means it was done by decree of the Senate.

Where the temple sits on the Via Sacra. Orientation pins only, not a route. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Temple of Antoninus and Faustina seen at an angle between trees in the Roman Forum — From the Via Sacra the temple porch and the church behind it read as one building.

Why is there a church inside the temple?

In the Middle Ages the temple was turned into the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda, and the walls of the ancient cella became the church’s walls. That is why the building survives so well: churches stayed in use and were not stripped for stone. The facade you see behind the columns was added in the early 1600s.

The church interior is not part of the normal Forum visit and is rarely open to the public, so plan to see the temple from outside.

Low-angle side view of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina showing its tall marble columns and stone podium — The side view shows the high podium and the cuts high on the columns.

What should you look for in a short stop?

Look high on the columns for deep diagonal grooves. They are often explained as marks from ropes used in an attempt to pull the columns down for building material, which failed. Also notice the frieze above the columns on the sides, carved with griffins and decorative candelabra, and the doorway set high above today’s ground level, which shows how much the Forum floor has been dug away since medieval times.

Where	Look for
Entablature	Two-line inscription to Antoninus and Faustina
Upper columns	Deep grooves, often linked to failed demolition
Side frieze	Griffins and candelabra carvings
Church door	Set high above today’s Forum ground level
Staircase	Modern brick rebuilding of the original steps

Rebuilt brick steps leading up to the porch of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina — The brick staircase is a modern rebuilding; the original steps were marble.

How does it fit into a Forum visit?

The temple faces the Via Sacra on the north side of the Forum, close to the Largo della Salara Vecchia entrance and opposite the Temple of Caesar and the Regia. Ten minutes is usually enough. It is inside the paid Forum and Palatine area, though you can glimpse the back of the building from Via dei Fori Imperiali.

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Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina?: Usually not. The building is now the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda, and its interior is not part of the normal Roman Forum visit and is rarely open to the public. You see the temple from the Via Sacra in front, where the columns, inscription and church facade are all clearly visible from the path.
Why is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina so well preserved?: It was converted into a church in the Middle Ages, and buildings that stayed in use were rarely stripped for stone like most Forum temples. Its ancient walls became the church walls, and the columns were left standing in front. The facade behind the columns was added in the early seventeenth century, giving the building its unusual mix.
What do the grooves on the columns mean?: The deep diagonal cuts high on several columns are commonly explained as marks from ropes or chains used in an attempt to pull the columns down for reuse as building material. The attempt failed, and the columns stayed in place. The explanation is traditional rather than documented in detail, but the marks are easy to spot from the path.
Is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina included in the Colosseum ticket?: It stands inside the Roman Forum, so a ticket covering the Forum and Palatine area includes it, such as the standard Colosseum combined ticket. There is no separate ticket just for the temple. Ticket types and included sites change, so check the official Parco archeologico del Colosseo website before you book your visit.

Temple of Antoninus and Faustina: The Roman Temple That Became a Church