No matter where the modern traveler sets foot today, this place has already witnessed the ancient Romans, who left their mark on the entire history of European states: they built luxurious villas and baths, erected palaces and temples, created statues and paintings. Today, there are many attractions of the historical and cultural heritage of the Roman Empire. For example, an ancient temple in the Portuguese city of Evora.

Despite its big name, the Temple of Evora doesn`t have anything in common with the goddess of the hunt. The name of this ancient Roman temple was given by a Franciscan monk who wrote a treatise in the 17th century. Founded in the 1st century in honor of the first Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus in the city's market square called Liberalitas Julia, the Temple of Diana was the main shrine of Evora until the invasion of the Germanic tribes. The abandoned and dilapidated sanctuary has survived to this day thanks to King Afonso V of Portugal, who built ruins and columns into the walls of a medieval castle. Only at the end of the 19th century, under the direction of Italian architect Giuseppe Cinatti, the medieval walls collapsed and beautiful Roman columns appeared in all their splendor. Fourteen granite columns, more than 3 meters high, stood on a stone foundation with an area of ​​375 square meters. Some of them still had marble Corinthian capitals. Modern travelers can see the temple in almost the same condition: only the ancient stone staircase leading to it sank into oblivion.

Amazingly, the Temple of Evora survived the strongest earthquake of 1755, which wiped out not only architectural monuments but also entire Portuguese cities. The Temple of Diana looks especially romantic at sunset: the southern amber sun illuminates its columns, throwing long shadows on the city square, the Cathedral of Evora, the Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval, and, of course, the tanned faces of tourists and locals.