Temples & religious sites
Temple of Saturn
The Temple of Saturn was an ancient Roman temple to the god Saturn, in what is now Rome, Italy. Its ruins stand at the foot of the Capitoline Hill at the western end of the Roman Forum. The original dedication of the temple is traditionally dated to 497 BC, but ancient writers disagreed greatly about the history of this site.
Temple of Saturn
This is one of the oldest cult sites in the Roman Forum, marked today by eight tall columns standing at the base of the Capitoline Hill. The temple housed the state treasury (the aerarium) in antiquity, and what survives is a partial facade from a later rebuilding rather than the original structure. It's worth seeing for the columns themselves and for the view they anchor across the western end of the Forum.
Getting there
From central Rome, it sits at the edge of the Roman Forum archaeological area, reachable on foot from Piazza Venezia in about 10 minutes. The main Forum entrances are along Via dei Fori Imperiali and Via di San Gregorio; once inside, the temple is near the Forum's western end, close to the Arch of Septimius Severus.
Time to allow
Seeing the columns and reading the site takes only 10-15 minutes, but it's usually visited as one stop within a longer walk through the Forum, which can take one to two hours or more.
When to go
The Roman Forum draws large crowds, especially in late morning and early afternoon. Arriving near opening or later in the afternoon tends to mean fewer people. Summer heat can make midday visits uncomfortable, since there's little shade among the ruins.
Combine with
- Arch of Septimius Severus - about 0.1 km away, essentially adjacent
- Roman Forum - 0.1 km, the site the temple is part of
- Temple of Vesta - 0.2 km, a short walk within the same Forum grounds
- Capitoline Museums - 0.1 km, on the hill just above, good for continuing after the Forum
Sources: open data from Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap · Updated August 5, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors
