Barcelona · Spain
Temple d'August
A practical guide to the Temple d'August in Barcelona: four nine-meter Roman columns inside a medieval courtyard, free, how to find the door, opening hours and how much time to give it.
Worth it. It's free, two minutes from the cathedral, and almost everyone walks right past. Just don't expect a whole temple: it's four columns in a small courtyard.
The Temple d’August is four Corinthian columns, about nine meters tall, from the late 1st century BC or early 1st century AD, still standing inside a medieval courtyard on Carrer del Paradís. They are what remains of the main temple of Barcino, built on the top of Mont Tàber. Today they are part of the Museu d’Història de Barcelona (MUHBA), and entry is free.
Our experience
We went in at 15:08 on Wednesday, May 27, between Plaça de Sant Jaume and the cathedral, on our walk through the Gothic Quarter. We gave it about 17 minutes. We put it on the route because it was on the way, it was free and, from what we read, almost everyone walks past the door without going in. We had noted down to look for the millstone in the street and the plaque at number 10. The full afternoon is in our arrival in Barcelona.
A bit of history
Augustus founded the colony of Barcino around 15 BC. The temple was built on the highest point, a small rise of 16.9 meters, and had six columns across the front, six across the back and eleven along each side, around a hall with the cult statue. It measured about 35 meters long by 17.5 wide. The dedication to Augustus is the traditional one, but no inscription proves it, and today many specialists date it to the reign of Tiberius.
As the empire ended, the temple was taken apart bit by bit. The columns that survived were absorbed into the houses built around them and spent centuries inside walls and cellars. The architect Antoni Celles studied them around 1830, and in 1879, during work for the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya, the hiking club founded that year, three columns reappeared in the walls of a 15th-century house.
In 1902 the publisher Ramon de Montaner bought the building, and his nephew Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the architect of the Hospital de Sant Pau, remodeled it as the club’s headquarters. He removed the medieval partitions and left the columns exposed in a courtyard with a skylight. The fourth column, pieced together from fragments, stood for almost eight decades in Plaça del Rei and was moved here in 1956. Since 2013 the courtyard has been part of the MUHBA.
Good to know
The space is small: if a group of twelve comes in, it fills up. Go knowing you’ll see four columns, not a complete temple. That way, what you find behind that private-looking door is one of the biggest surprises in the neighborhood.
What to see, in order
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The millstone
Before you go in, look at the pavement on Carrer del Paradís: a round stone marks the top of Mont Tàber, 16.9 meters above the sea, the highest point of Roman Barcino.
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The door at number 10
It looks like the entrance to a private house, with a small plaque. Push it open and go in.
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The four columns
Corinthian, fluted, about nine meters tall. Walk among them; touching them is allowed.
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The capitals
The acanthus leaves are among the best preserved of any Roman Corinthian capitals in Spain. Take your time with them.
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The pieces of the entablature
Around the edges of the courtyard are fragments of the architrave and frieze that once rested on the columns.
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The skylight
The top-lit courtyard is Lluís Domènech i Montaner's 1902 setting. You see three eras at once: Roman temple, 15th-century house and Modernista courtyard.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- Look for the small plaque at Carrer del Paradís 10. There's no big sign.
- Photos are allowed without flash or tripod. The best one is from the courtyard floor, looking up.
- If you're interested in Roman Barcino, pair it with the walls at Plaça de Ramon Berenguer and the MUHBA at Plaça del Rei.
Do
- Go in even though the door looks private: the courtyard is open to the public.
- Keep your bag in front on Carrer del Paradís: it's narrow and the doorway turns into a bottleneck.
- Head north when you leave: in two minutes you're in front of the cathedral.
Don’t
- Don't pay anyone offering "skip-the-line" entry or a guide for the temple: it's free and there's no line.
- Don't buy "combo tickets" with the MUHBA from street sellers: they don't exist. Buy the MUHBA at Plaça del Rei.
- Don't write it off as "just four columns": it's what's left of the main temple of the Roman city.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Temple d'August cost?
Nothing. Entry is free and you don't need to book.
How much time do you need?
Between 10 and 20 minutes.
Where is the entrance?
At Carrer del Paradís 10, inside the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya. It's a private-looking door with a small plaque.
What are the opening hours?
Monday 10:00 to 14:00, Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 19:00, and Sundays and holidays 10:00 to 20:00.
Was it really a temple to Augustus?
That's the traditional attribution, but no inscription confirms it, and many specialists think it was built under Tiberius, his successor.