The Temple of Augustus is located under the San Procolo Cathedral of Pozzuoli. Already in Roman times this temple was used as a church. After having been closed for fifty years, the San Procolo reopened in 2014.
Temple of Augustus Pozzuoli
Address, Opening Hours and Admission Price
The address of the Basilica Cattedrale san Procolo Martire nel Rione Terra a Pozzuoli is Strada Duomo – Pozzuoli. Metro: Pozzuoli-Solfatara. Train: Cappuccini (Cumana line). The basilica can be visited only on weekends, on Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00 and on Sunday from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 17:30 to 19:30. Admission to the church is free. Tours can be reserved in advance by calling 800144716 (not from abroad or using a mobile number) or +39 3881019712.
History and Description
The Temple of Augustus was built on a site where there used to be a Greek or Sannite temple. An inscription indicates that a wealthy businessman called Calpurnio had paid for its construction.
As early as 1634, some of the columns had been slimmed down and/or shortened by Bishop Martino de Léon to allow for the construction of the side chapels. Also, the back wall was taken down to make a corridor between the nave and the apse of the basilica. It is likely that some of these columns were reused for the new church.
In the Santissimo Sacramento Chapel, graced by a 17th century dome with stucco and imitation marble, are a number of columns and marble slabs that formed the Tempio di Romano.
The temple that used to be here was called “Capitoglium” and was dedicated to Zeus, Juno and Minerva. It had been built at the foundation of the city (194 BC) and was 15 meters wide and 23 meters long, with 6 columns on the facade and 9 on the sides.
Already in Roman times, the temple was used as a church, before finally being incorporated into the cathedral in the 17th century. Although it was known that the temple had been here, it was only after the fire of 1964, which destroyed the nave, that it became clear that the temple had been preserved.