The Santuario di Ercole Vincitore (“Heracles the Conqueror”) dates back to the 2nd century BC and is located just outside the city walls of Tivoli.
Santuario di Ercole Vincitore Tivoli
Useful information
Address: Via degli Stabilimenti, 1-2 – 00019 – Tivoli. Telephone: +39 0774 330329. Opening hours: From 10:00 to 18:00. Entrance fee: 6 Euro (discount: 2 Euro); combi-ticket with Villa d’Este: 12 Euro (discount: 4 Euro).
History and description
The Santuario di Ercole Vincitore consisted of a theater, a temple, a square with a portico, and a number of smaller structures. The entire complex took up an area of about 3,000 sq. meters.
The first stone was laid in the 2nd century BC, but buildings were added until the time of Augustus. (Augustus was emperor from 27 BC to 14 AD).
Over the centuries, the site was used for various purposes. The presence of abundant water attracted industries. It was used for the wool industry, for an arms factory, and later for foundries, a paper mill and for the first hydroelectric plant, which produced alternating current for a considerable area.