Temple of Aesculapius (Villa Borghese)

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Temple of Aesculapius
Villa Borghese (Rome) - Laghetto, tempio di Asclepio.jpg
Temple of Aesculapius
Temple of Aesculapius (Villa Borghese)
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Coordinates 41°54′54″N12°28′58″E / 41.9149104°N 12.48279053°E / 41.9149104; 12.48279053 Coordinates: 41°54′54″N12°28′58″E / 41.9149104°N 12.48279053°E / 41.9149104; 12.48279053

The Temple of Aesculapius located in the gardens of the Villa Borghese, in Rome, was built in the ionic style between 1785 and 1792 [1] by Antonio Asprucci and his son Mario Asprucci, with help from Cristoforo Unterperger. [2] The temple was perhaps built in memory of the destroyed ancient temple to the god of Medicine on the Tiber Island. [3]

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The temple houses a statue of Aesculapius, believed to be originally from the Mausoleum of Augustus. [4] Neglected over the centuries, it was restored by Vincenzo Pacetti and sold to Marcantonio Borghese IV in 1785. [5]

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References

  1. "Arredi Architettonici". Sovrintendaenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017.
  2. "Temple of Aesculapius". Villa Borghese. Archived from the original on 23 April 2009.
  3. "Temple of Asclepius". Himetop. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017.
  4. Moorby, Nicola (February 2009). "The Temple of Aesculapius in the Grounds of Villa Borghese, Rome, with the Greek Inscription from its Façade". Tate . Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  5. Riccomini, Anna Maria (1995). "A Garden of Statues and Marbles: The Soderini Collection in the Mausoleum of Augustus" (PDF). Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes. 58: 265–284. doi:10.2307/751517. ISSN   0075-4390.

Further reading