Page 78 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Rome

76  ROME AREA B Y AREA

8 Temple of Jupiter
Via del Tempio di Giove. Map 5 A5 &
12 F5. @ 40, 62, 63, 64, 110, 170.
Open 9:30am–7:30pm daily.
The temple of Jupiter, the most
important in ancient Rome,
was founded in honor of the
king of the gods around 509 BC
on the southern summit of
the Capitoline hill. From the
few traces that remain, archae­
ol ogists have been able to
reconstruct the rectangular,
Greek appearance of the
temple as it once stood. In
places, you can see remnants of
the podium, its particularly Sabine soldiers crushing the treacherous Tarpeia with their shields
Roman feature, most of it
beneath the Museo Nuovo women by Romulus and his 0 Victor Emmanuel
wing of the Palazzo dei men, bribed Tarpeia to let them Monument
Conservatori (see pp72–3). up onto the Capitol. As the
Walking around the site, from Augustan historian Livy records, Piazza Venezia. Map 5 A5 & 12 F4.
the podium’s south­western the Sabines used to wear heavy Tel 06­678 3587. @ 40, 62, 63, 64,
corner in Via del Tempio di Giove gold bracelets and jeweled 110, 170. v 8. Open 9:30am–
to its south­eastern corner in rings on their left hands, and 7:30pm (last adm. 45 mins before
closing). -
Piazzale Caffarelli, you can see Tarpeia’s reward for her
that the temple was about the treachery was to be “what they Known as Il Vittoriano, this
same size as the Pantheon. wore on their shield­arms.” monument was begun in 1885
The Sabines kept to the letter and inaugurated in 1911 in
of the bargain if not to its spirit – honor of Victor Emmanuel II
they repaid Tarpeia not with of Savoy, the first king of a
their jewelry but by crushing unified Italy. The king is
her to death between their depicted here in a gilt bronze
shields. Tarpeia was possibly equestrian statue, oversized
the only casualty of her like the monument itself –
act of treachery – as the the statue is 39 ft (12 m) long.
invading warriors met The edifice also contains a
the Roman defenders, museum of the Risorgimento,
the Sabine women the events that led to uni fica tion
leapt between the two (see pp40–41). Built in white
opposing armies, forcing Brescian marble, the “wedding
a reconciliation. Traitors and cake” (one of its many nick­
other condemned criminals names) will never mellow into
were subsequently executed the ocher tones of surrounding
by being thrown over the buildings. It is widely held to be
Ancient coin showing the sheer face of the rock. the epitome of self­important,
Temple of Jupiter The place was con sidered insensitive architecture, though
dangerous, but restoration work the views it offers are spectacular.
has since been carried out to A glass elevator at the back
9 Tarpeian Rock ensure the safety of visitors. takes visitors to the very top.
Via di Monte Caprino and Via del
Tempio di Giove. Map 5 A5 & 12 F5.
@ 40, 62, 63, 64, 110, 170. v 8.
The southern tip of the
Capitoline is called the
Tarpeian Rock (Rupe Tarpea),
after Tarpeia, the young
daughter of Spurius Tarpeius,
defender of the Capitol in the
8th­century­BC Sabine War.
The Sabines, bent on
vengeance for the rape of their Victor Emmanuel Monument in Piazza Venezia

US_076-077_EW_Rome_US.indd 76 15/03/17 4:19 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.9)
Date 20th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm