must-visit in RomeHistoric Ruins & Heritage

Temples of the Forum Boarium

📍 Temple of Portunus, Piazza della Bocca della Verità, 00186 Rome, Italy

No photos yet

4.3/ 5.0

★★★★☆

Quick Facts

Location: Italy, Rome
Category: Historic Ruins & Heritage
Duration: 15-25 minutes (exterior viewing)
Opening Hours: Daily All day (exterior) · Open-air ruin; exterior free at all hours. Interior usually open only on special events or Heritage Days per official notice
Ticket Price: Free Admission: Exterior viewing free · Interior access usually via guided tours or special events
Address: Temple of Portunus, Piazza della Bocca della Verità, 00186 Rome, Italy
Coordinates: 41.8916, 12.4867

Introduction

The Temple of Portunus stands in the Forum Boarium area beside the Tiber in Rome and is one of the better-preserved ancient Roman temples. It was dedicated to Portunus, a god linked to harbours and shipping; the building is rectangular, with a colonnade and a pediment, and it survived largely intact because it was long used as a church. Around it lie the cattle market and river port of ancient Rome, with the round Temple of Hercules Victor and the Bocca della Verità nearby, so it can be walked together with the Tiber embankment. The area gives a sense of the ancient river port and its temples; visits centre on the exterior, and arrangements for opening and entry follow on-site notices.

✨ Highlights

Well-preserved temple

One of the better-preserved ancient Roman temples, it clearly shows a rectangular plan with a colonnade and pediment.

God of the harbour

The temple was dedicated to Portunus, a god linked to harbours and shipping, reflecting the area's ties to the river port.

Saved by reuse as a church

Because it was long used as a church, the building survived largely intact—an important reason for its condition.

Near the river port

The ancient cattle market and river port lay around it, with the Temple of Hercules and the Bocca della Verità nearby.

🛈 Practical Info

→Suggested time：20–30 minutes; about an hour with the riverside nearby

→Best season：Good all year; spring and autumn are more comfortable for walking

→Note：Some areas may be under works or restricted; follow on-site signs

→Transportation：Metro line B to Circo Massimo, 10 minutes on foot; near the Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità) and Santa Maria in Cosmedin; several buses along Via del Teatro di Marcello

Opening Hours

Opening Hours
Monday	All day (exterior)
Tuesday	All day (exterior)
Wednesday	All day (exterior)
Thursday	All day (exterior)
Friday	All day (exterior)
Saturday	All day (exterior)
Sunday	All day (exterior)

Open-air ruin; exterior free at all hours. Interior usually open only on special events or Heritage Days per official notice

Ticket Information

Ticket Information
Free Admission	Exterior viewing free

Interior access usually via guided tours or special events

💡 Tips

• Combine it with the Bocca della Verità and the riverbank on the same walk.

• Expect mainly to see the exterior rather than to go inside.

• The Tiber embankment is exposed to the sun, so bring protection and water in summer.

• Traffic on nearby roads is heavy, so cross at the pedestrian crossings.

FAQ

What are the opening hours of Temples of the Forum Boarium?

Monday: All day (exterior); Tuesday: All day (exterior); Wednesday: All day (exterior); Thursday: All day (exterior); Friday: All day (exterior); Saturday: All day (exterior); Sunday: All day (exterior); Open-air ruin; exterior free at all hours. Interior usually open only on special events or Heritage Days per official notice