The Roman temple of Alcántara is located at one side of the
Alcántara Bridge
The Alcántara Bridge (also known as Trajan's Bridge at Alcantara) is a Roman bridge at Alcántara, in Extremadura, Spain. Alcántara is from the Arabic word ''al-Qantarah'' (القنطرة) meaning "the arch". The stone arch bridge was buil ...
,
Cáceres,
Extremadura (
Spain). Along with the Roman temple of
Vic, it is one of the only two
Roman temples preserved nearly complete in
Spain.
History
The bridge, triumphal arch and temple were all designed by the same architect, Gaius Julius Lacer, who dedicated the last to the deified
emperors of Rome. He concluded his work in 103 AD. The origin of the architect appears to be local, but stylistically the features of the building appear closely related to contemporary buildings in the
Italica province. This suggests that the architect either studied in what is today
Italy, or was born there and later moved to the
Lusitania
Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province located where modern Portugal (south of the Douro river) and
a portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and the province of Salamanca) lie. It was named after the Lusitani or Lusita ...
province. The temple was constructed as an offering to
Trajan and the gods of
Rome. If still in use, the temple would have been closed during the
persecution of pagans under the Christian emperors of the fourth century. After the conquest of Cáceres in 1169 by
Ferdinand II of Leon
Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
, the temple was converted into a
chapel of St. Julian; one reason the building remains so well-preserved. The conversion saw the addition of a belfry and a skull with tibias. The temple would eventually become a milestone along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.
Revista de Folklore
/ref> The architect was buried in the temple; his tomb is still preserved inside.
Architecture
Alcántara is a small votive temple in antis, rectangular, with a single camera or cell. The temple is constructed of granite. The entrance is flanked by two Tuscan columns and accessed by an exterior staircase, covered with a gabled roof made of slabs of stone, with a pediment with trim at the edges and a smooth tympanum without decoration. The bill is reminiscent of the Treasury of Athens at Delphi
Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), in ancient times was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The oracle ...
. The bridge and temple are built with granite blocks of equal size.
Inscriptions
Presented in the lintel
A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...
of the temple are inscriptions (now are not original, but subsequent copies as the last makes clear) attesting to the dedication by the architect Gaius Julius Lacer to the Emperor Trajan.
CIL 02, 00761
English translation:
See also
* List of Ancient Roman temples
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman temple of Alcantara
2nd-century religious buildings and structures