From the Ruin to the Temple, passing by the butchers. A reconstitution of the 'Temple of Diana' in Evora, based on literary and iconographic sources

Abstract

This essay provides a journey through time, starting from the first known narrative regarding the temple of the Roman forum of the ancient town called Ebora Liberalitas Julia, nowadays named Evora, located in the Alentejo, Portugal. Our journey begins sixteen centuries after the foundation of the temple, with a description of the butchers that settled over the temple remains. The analysed narratives derive from different types of sources, such as literature, iconographic and archaeological evidence. With all this information brought together, the different configurations this building had through the centuries became evident. The essay tries to fill the gap between the sources and the ensuing representation, by translating all these sources into drawings in order to increase the possibilities of a more accurate reconstitution. Using, as an example, the orthographic projection of the north façade, an exercise in the archaeology of architecture is carried out.