The Faded Venus Ericina: Unraveling the Hidden Temple Devoted to Venus in

The Venus Ericina, commonly known as the Temple of Venus, is a Roman temple found in Pompeii. This temple, constructed to honor Venus, the patron deity, was established after Pompeii's transition into a Roman colony. Following the 62 Pompeii earthquake, the temple sustained heavy damage. Instead of shutting down for renovations, a small votive edicula was put up to maintain religious activities. Tragically, before the temple could be fully restored, it was smothered under a layer of ash and volcanic stones from the 79 Vesuvius eruption.

During the Julio-Claudian era, the temple underwent an expansion and boasted two entrances – one in the northeast corner and the other in the eastern part. The temple, designed along the north-south axis, was encircled by columns. Today, only a few relics of the temple remain: an altar made of travertine, two pedestals for equestrian statues, and a stairway leading to nearby dwellings via a subterranean passage.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons