The temple of Vesta — Roman temple in Tivoli, Rome, dated to the I century B. C. Its ruins are located on the site of the city Acropolis, overlooking the waterfalls of the Aniene river, which now are located in the Park of Villa Gregoriana.

It is unknown to whom the temple was dedicated, the Hercules, the prophetess Albunea, local hero Tabernus or Vesta, the patroness of the hearth in Ancient Rome. Next to the ruins of the temple you can see another rectangular structure, while also it is not certain, - it is often called the Temple of the sibyl.

But we know the name of the Builder of the Temple of Vesta — it was a certain Lucius Gellius, whose memory is commemorated in the inscription on the architrave. The center of the temple is round the cella (the inner part of the Greek or Roman temple), which is surrounded by 10 Corinthian columns (there were 18). Inside the door and two Windows. The frieze of the temple is decorated with carvings and bucranium (an ornament in the shape of a cow head). The Church building is relatively well preserved, largely due to the fact that at the time was Christianized and turned into the Church of Santa Maria della Rotonda. But in the 16th century of the Christian extension almost completely disappeared.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Temple of Vesta, with all its scenery has been carefully sketched several architects Antoine Decode, Giuseppe Vasi, Giovanni Battista Piranesi and others, and subsequently its structure became a model for the creation of numerous landscape parks outside of Italy. For example, in England imitation of the temple can be seen in the town of Stowe and in the Royal Botanic gardens Kew. In Northern Ireland on the model of the Temple of Vesta was built the Temple of Mussenden in Downhill. In France the Church was inspired by Richard Mika on the creation of the Temple of Love in the Small Trianon (small Palace on the grounds of Versailles).

Around the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli Park — it was established in the first half of the 19th century by order of Pope Gregory XVI, who wanted to restore the bed of the Aniene after the flood of 1826, the year. Since ancient times, the river made a wide loop around the city's Acropolis and four waterfalls fell down to the plain. Today the waterfalls there are only two.