The Roman temple is Évora's emblem: a podium of granite carrying fourteen fluted Corinthian columns with marble capitals, raised in the 1st century AD when the city was Roman Liberalitas Julia.
Popularly — though wrongly — called the Temple of Diana, it was most likely dedicated to the imperial cult. Its survival is an accident of reuse: walled up as a fortress tower in the Middle Ages and later used as a butchery, the structure was protected by its own disguise until 19th-century restorers stripped it back to the colonnade.
It stands free to view at all hours, beside the cathedral, the Lóios convent and the gardens with their viewpoint over the plain — at its most beautiful floodlit after dark, when the square empties and two millennia feel very close.
Highlights
- Best-preserved Roman temple in Portugal
- Fourteen Corinthian columns from the 1st century AD
- Survived as a walled medieval tower and butchery
- Free to view at all hours
- Floodlit and at its best after dark
History & context
Raised in the 1st century AD over the forum of Roman Ebora, the temple survived by being absorbed into a medieval castle tower and later the city slaughterhouse; restoration in 1871 freed the colonnade seen today.
🗓️ Best time to visit
Dusk and after dark, when the colonnade is floodlit.
⏱️ Duration
15–30 minutes
♿ Accessibility
Level viewing from the surrounding square and gardens.
Frequently asked questions
Was it really the Temple of Diana?
No — the name is an 18th-century legend; it was most likely dedicated to the cult of the emperor.
Can you go inside?
The colonnade is viewed from the square — there is no interior; visiting takes minutes and costs nothing.