Among the monuments of the Roman Forum I must cite the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, a landmark that I always explain when I'm here, at the historical and archeological heart of Rome, with my tourists. 

Its size, its amazing columns, but especially its story, which led it to become a church, make it a perfect example of the dynamic evolution of Rome: the Eternal City is extraordinary because, in one way or another, its long history is still visible and, often, within the same area or the same monument! The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina: the first was a roman emperor of the half of the II century d.C., while the second was his wife, Faustina Maggiore. Antoninus dedicated her the temple at the 141 d.C., on the occasion of her death. Just 20 years later, at the 161 a.D., even Antoninus died and the Senate decided to move his ashes here, inside the temple with his wife. We know these news both from the literary sources and some visible evidences. Take for example the inscription, originally in bronze letters, that says, Divo Antonino and Divae Faustinae Ex S(Senatus) C(Consulting). The first two words, and that is Divo Antonino, would be added in the 161 d.C., after the inauguration of the temple, and on the occasion of the death of the emperor. Another important aspect to keep in mind is the word Divo, which means God. In the ancient age, in fact, especially at the death of the emperor, his figure was sometimes deified, entering officially into the roman Pantheon. Throughout the empire, for this reason, there were temples dedicated to the ordinary gods, and other places of worship dedicated to the deified emperors.

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina had a single cell, a wall of tufa blocks covered with marble slabs of which today, however, are remained only the large holes on the wall surface. Those big holes that are still visible on the long sides of the temple, and not in the facade that we see in the picture, contained cribs, iron used to hold the marble slabs which were recycled in the course of the centuries. And it is precisely this word, recycling, that is fundamental to an understanding of the entire building. If you notice over the 17 metres high columns it seems that there is another building, not the temple anymore. This is the Church of San Lorenzo in Miranda, built in the XI century reusing the cell of the ancient temple.

A clear example of the christianization of the Rome of the emperors, a process that will take several temples, or rather the remains of them, to be reused for the construction of places of christian worship. After all, the word Miranda returns to the magnificent view that you can have from the church, a view that sweeps along the Roman Forum, the centre for excellence of the pagan Rome that had persecuted the Christians. A great political victory, in short, immortalized by the Church of San Lorenzo in Miranda, that was even deliberately destroyed  in 1536 to allow to the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles V, to better see the entrance of the ancient temple! The church was then rebuilt in 1602. A particular destiny for the two places of worship, a symbol of the paganism of Rome and one of christianity, which today still are together, after centuries and centuries. No doubts that this building is simply amazing...