Temple romain d’Évora

In the historic centre of Évora, beside the cathedral, the Templo Romano raises its columns against the sky. One of the best-preserved Roman monuments in Portugal, it stands at the heart of a city that has been continuously occupied for more than two thousand years.

A temple in the old city

The temple was built in the first century AD, probably in honour of the Emperor Augustus, when Évora was an important Roman town. It survived because it was later incorporated into the town’s castle and, for centuries, served as the local butchers’ market. Its columns were freed from the surrounding buildings in the nineteenth century, and the temple became the image of Évora itself.

What to see

• The surviving columns and the podium of the temple.
• The setting beside the cathedral and the old bishop’s palace.
• The views over the Alentejo plain from the terrace behind the temple.
• The wider historic centre of Évora, listed by UNESCO.

Visiting the temple

The temple is at Largo do Conde de Vila Flor, in the historic centre of Évora. It can be seen from the outside at any time, and is a short walk from the cathedral and the city’s other monuments.

Visitor information: cm-evora.pt.

Image credit: Templo Romano de Évora, by Norbert Nagel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.