Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Ravne tunnels.
Ravne Tunnels
Colors and volumes in the patio.
Monterrey’s Contemporary Art Museum (MARCO)
Inside Wonderwerk Caves, underground caves and excavation, Kuruman, Northern Cape
Wonderwerk Cave
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Jeremy Bentham’s Auto-Icon in its new location in 2020
The Jeremy Bentham Auto-Icon: Why This Legendary Philosopher Put His Own Body on Display
The truth is out there—somewhere.
The Truth Is Out There at the Dreamland Resort (or Should We Say ‘Area 51?’)
Edward Payson Weston
How the 6-Day Race Became an American Spectator Obsession
Alresford Spy Toilet
This Public Bathroom in a Sleepy English Village Was an Epicenter for Cold War Espionage

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Italy Cori Temple of Hercules

Temple of Hercules

The ruins of this Roman temple dominate the small city in southern Lazio.

Cori, Italy

Added By
Jan Claus Di Blasio
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Wikimedia/pietro scerrato
  Wikimedia/pietro scerrato
Piranesi’s illustration from the 18th century.   Wikimedia/bkmd
  Wikimedia/Harlok2003
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Temple of Hercules is the best preserved of all the Roman temples in the town of Cori, southeast of Rome, in the region of the Lepini mountains. 

It dates back to the beginning of the first century B.C., and was built during the age of Sulla in the ancient city of Cora. It's a doric tetrastyle temple with four columns in the front and four columns per side, with a cella at the back. On the architrave is an inscription that names the magistrates who were responsible for the temple's construction: Marcus Matlius and Lucius Turpilius. 

It has been traditionally attributed to Hercules by local lore, but it's more definitive that it was a source of inspiration for great artists such as Piranesi, Raphael, and many others who visited Cori during the age of the Grand Tour. For this reason, there a number of sketches, paintings, and drawings depicting the temple prior to the Allied bombings during World War II. 

The temple has survived a transformation into a church of Saint Peter—the belltower is all that is left of the church—in addition to the war.

 

Related Tags

Ruins Temples Roman
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

LatiumMirabile

Published

June 23, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Temple of Hercules
8 Via Tempio D'Ercole
Cori, 04010
Italy
41.642622, 12.915658
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Temple of the Dioscuri

Cori, Italy

miles away

Gardens of Ninfa

Doganella di Ninfa, Italy

miles away

Abbazia di Valvisciolo (Valvisciolo Abbey)

Sermoneta, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cori

Cori

Italy

Places 2

Nearby Places

Temple of the Dioscuri

Cori, Italy

miles away

Gardens of Ninfa

Doganella di Ninfa, Italy

miles away

Abbazia di Valvisciolo (Valvisciolo Abbey)

Sermoneta, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cori

Cori

Italy

Places 2

Related Places

  • Temple to Antenociticus

    Newcastle upon Tyne, England

    Benwell Roman Temple

    This Roman archeological site is hidden amid a 1930s housing estate.

  • Shrine of Hercules Curinus

    Sulmona, Italy

    Shrine of Hercules Curinus

    The ruins of this temple were later chosen by Pope Celestine V to found an abbey and a hermitage.

  • Cori, Italy

    Temple of the Dioscuri

    Only three columns survive from this ancient temple in the town of Cori.

  • The temple on the hill.

    Terracina, Italy

    Temple of Jupiter Anxur

    A Roman temple perched over an Italian town, forgotten several times over.

  • The great circular sanctuary.

    Costești, Romania

    Sarmizegetusa Regia

    Once the legendary capital of the Dacian Kingdom, this city has been reduced to mere ruins.

  • The base of the column with its deep gash

    Rome, Italy

    Durandal's Mark

    A deep mark on the remains of a Roman temple, believed to be left by a legendary warrior.

  • Columns of the Temple of Augustus.

    Barcelona, Spain

    Columns of the Temple of Augustus

    The 2,000-year-old Roman columns are hidden within Barcelona's Gothic Quarter.

  • Turkey

    Ancient City of Magnesia

    These ancient ruins include a stadium dating back to 400 BC.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.