Temple of Augustus and Livia Temple

Address: Vienne, Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

The Temple of Augustus and Livia is an ancient Roman temple in the town of Vienne in southeastern France, dating to the early Roman imperial period and dedicated to Emperor Augustus and his wife Livia. The standing monument preserves much of its classical plan and external order, making it a prominent example of provincial Roman temple architecture.

The principal visible features are a raised podium, a columned portico and the remains of the cella; the temple occupies a conspicuous hilltop site and commands views over the town and the Rhône. Visitors typically view the façade and the surrounding square and combine a visit with other Roman remains in Vienne.

Constructed in the early 1st century AD as part of the Roman city’s monumental core, the temple served the imperial cult and civic ceremonial functions in antiquity. It survived in altered form through the medieval period and later restorations have preserved its external appearance.

The temple stands on a small plateau in Vienne, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southern France, roughly 30 to 35 km south of Lyon and adjacent to the town’s Roman archaeological sites.

• State of preservation: Sits within the Roman era city of Vienne and is one of the best-preserved Roman temples in France, notable for its classical column order and surviving superstructure.
• Nearby Roman ensemble: Located on a raised position overlooking the town and the Rhône, it is often visited together with the nearby Roman theatre and other antique monuments.

Vienne is about 30-35 minutes by regional train from Lyon; the temple site is walkable from Vienne’s town center. Local buses and taxis also serve the town.

• Look for the Roman-era stonework embedded in the later cityscape of Vienne: the temple's podium and some columns survive and are best joined with a museum visit in town.
• Visit in the late afternoon when the light picks the surviving capitals and casts long shadows across the Forum site.