Temple of Vesta

The Temple of Vesta, located at the eastern end of the Roman Forum, is an ancient round temple from the 6th century BC associated with a religious complex linked to the worship of the goddess Vesta. Probably one of the oldest in Rome, attributed to Numa Pompilius, it guarded the sacred fire without having an image of the divinity. Symbol of community aggregation, it gained political relevance during urban expansion. Transferred to the Forum, it represented the home and house of the State. Managed by the Vestals, priestesses of nobility, they maintained the sacred fire respecting the vow of chastity. The temple suffered destructions and reconstructions, with the last version being carried out under Commodus and Julia Domna. In the year 391, with the decrees of Theodosius I, the worship of Vesta was prohibited, the sacred fire was extinguished, and the order of the Vestals dissolved, marking the end of the ancient rite.