Temple of Saturn - Roman Forum, Rome - Ancient Columns above the Forum

The surviving columns of the Temple of Saturn rise prominently above the ruins of the Roman Forum, surrounded by layers of ancient architecture in central Rome.

The Temple of Saturn stands at the western end of the Roman Forum in Rome and is one of the most recognizable surviving monuments of the ancient city. Dedicated to the god Saturn, the temple was among the oldest major sanctuaries in the Forum and also served an important civic function as the original home of the Aerarium, the treasury of the Roman state. In this photograph, the temple’s tall surviving columns dominate the centre of the scene, rising above surrounding ruins, pathways and archaeological remains. The present colonnade belongs largely to a late imperial restoration carried out after an ancient fire, while the massive podium beneath preserves earlier phases of the building. Around it, additional temples, arches and structures illustrate the dense concentration of political, religious and administrative monuments that once made the Forum the heart of Roman public life.