Temple of Caesar

Located in the Roman Forum near the Regia and Temple of Vesta, the Temple of Caesar was built in 42 B.C. after the senate officially deified the murdered Roman leader. On the east side of the forum, the temple, also known as the Temple of Divus Lulius, stands where Caesar was once cremated. Interestingly, the temple is the only one of the Roman Era to be entirely devoted to a comet. It is said that a few years after Caesar’s death a comet appeared over Rome for seven days and the Roman priests believed it to be a soul of the idolized Caesar, perhaps even a sign of the endorsement of the ascension of Augustus.
The Temple of Caesar was built in the Italian architectural style and was constructed largely from marble. It managed to remain fairly well-maintained until the 1400s, when large sections of the temple were taken to be used in the construction of other buildings in the city. Today, only a relatively small bit of the original material remains. In its prime, the structure measured nearly 98 feet long and 85 feet wide. It is believed that the building was as tall as 40 feet when it was still fully intact.

Practical Info

Visitors can’t enter the temple but instead simply view the ruins. There is no fee to visit the temple area. That being said, the other attractions of the Roman Forum abide by the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you plan on visiting the Temple of Caesar and the other attractions in the Roman Forum, it's best to come early in the morning and in the middle of the week to avoid the crowds.