Cori (Ancient Cora)

[Elisa]

If you're ever in or around Rome I recommend you visit Cori! It is located 45 km southeast of Rome and was founded by the Latins (its ancient name is Cora). 
The city boasts two Roman temples, the Temple of Hercules (second half of the 1st century BCE) and the temple of Castor and Pollux (the Dioscuri) also from the second half of the 1st century BCE. 
The archaeological museum is hosted in Cori's Augustinian convent, which includes a beautiful cloister.
Here are a couple of pictures I took during my last visit to Cori a few weeks ago.

[Elisa]

The Church of Sant’Oliva in Cori was built in the 12th century on the ruins of a Roman temple. We don’t know much about the temple itself, except that it was built between the 3rd and the 1st century BCE and was probably dedicated to a female divinity. Two of the original columns have been incorporated into the building!

[guy]

On 12/21/2021 at 9:10 AM, Elisa said:

The Church of Sant’Oliva in Cori was built in the 12th century on the ruins of a Roman temple. We don’t know much about the temple itself, except that it was built between the 3rd and the 1st century BCE and was probably dedicated to a female divinity. Two of the original columns have been incorporated into the building!

What a wonderful picture. I always wondered how many pieces of older Roman buildings were incorporated into more modern structures. Of course, your example is a spectacular example of this. I guess innumerable times a few ancient bricks or tiles have been inconspicuously inserted into a later building's wall.

[Elisa]

14 hours ago, guy said:

What a wonderful picture. I always wondered how many pieces of older Roman buildings were incorporated into more modern structures. Of course, your example is a spectacular example of this. I guess innumerable times a few ancient bricks or tiles have been inconspicuously inserted into a later building's wall.

Absolutely, and the great thing is, that way they are preserved for posterity!I have quite a few pictures of spolia plastered on the walls of Roman Renaissance palaces, as well as roman sarcofagi being used as fountains!

 

[Elisa]

The cyclopean masonry of Cori includes an external wall, for defense, and internal terracing, necessary to build on the steep terrain of the hill. The external defensive wall was built between the 6th and 5th centuries BCE, at the time of the Volscan invasion.