Temple of Diana Nemorensis

The Temple of Diana was couched in a wood on the shores of Lake Nemi, also known as Diana’s mirror and considered a sacred place by the population.
 
Along with the Temple of Jupiter on the nearby Mount Albano, the sanctuary was considered a very important religious and political centre of the Latin League.
 
The Temple covered an area of over 5.000 square metres: a vast artificial terrace supported two porticoes and large semicircular niches which held elegant sculptures; and a little further away, there was a theatre.
 
Today, all one can see of the entire structure are the walls of the large niches, a part of the pronaos with the votive altar and a few columns.
 
With the advent of Christianity, the Temple of Diana was abandoned, stripped of its marbles and decorations and used as a quarry for construction materials.
 
Beginning in the 17th C. many items have been brought to light, many of which have been sold to collectors and foreign institutions and are now in the museums of the most important cities in Europe.

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