temple of fortuna Virilis

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10 October 2008

Temple of Fortuna Virilis

The Temple of Fortuna Virilis is one of the historical and religious marvels of the Roman Architecture . It was initially built during the 4th century but was reconstructed around the late 2nd century BC during the Republican Era in Rome , Italy . It is specifically located at the PiazzaT della Bocca della Verita ' wherein at the north side of it is where Casa dei Crescenzi ' is located which is a mansion made out of Roman spoils in 1100 AD . On

the southern side of the temple is the Temple of Hercules Victor or Temple of Vesta that was constructed in the 2nd century and turned into a church during the 12th century (Webb 78 The name of the temple had been recently changed to Temple of Portunus which translates to god of ports ' in honor of the Roman god , Portunus (Italyguides .it . More so , this title is an an ancient tutelary deity of rivers and harbours (LivinginRome .com . Furthermore , this temple is located around the Tiber banks which was built for the gods of seaports and rivers . According to mythology , Portunus possessed the power to shield doors . However , when the connotation of the word portus changed into harbor , the function of the Roman god also changed into being a guardian of the harbors (Sullivan

Historically , this architecture was intended to give reverence to Portunus because he was considered as the god of keys and doors and livestock ' who has the ability to protect storage houses of grains which was a very valuable asset back then . Because of the different associations linked to Portus ' name whether it was positive or negative he was seen as a god who could inflict good fortune or tremendous mishaps . As a result , the Romans erected this temple in to obtain all the good things Portunus has to offer and prevent his wrath on them and their town . More so , every 17th of August , Portunus is commemorated wherein keys are melancholically and at the same time devoutly thrown into the fire to attract pleasant vibes (Nationmaster .com . By 872 , the temple was transformed into a pagan temple . Then , after centuries later in the 1800s it housed a Christian church named the Chiesa di S .Maria Egiziaca which was for a saint who was a former prostitute that converted to Christianity . Prior to this , there was huge dispute on whom the church will be dedicated . Because of this , two names emerged which were Santa Maria Secundicerri and Santa Maria in Gradellis ' that were both given by scholars from a 12th century list of ecclesiastical foundations in the city of Rome ' In 1560 , Pope Pius IV proposed to give the temple as a gift to the Armenians when Saphar Abgaro who was the ambassador of the King of Armenia visited Rome . Eleven years later the church was formally received by the Armenians and was presented by Pope Pius V . Moreover , the temple experienced another restoration in the 18th...