Page 10 - monument

TEMPIO DI PORTUNO
The Temple of Portunus, called the Temple of Manly Fortune until a few decades ago, is made of whitewashed Aniene tuff to make it look like marble.
It was built just before the birth of Christ but some parts, such as the base, date back to the 3rd century BC.
The embankment to its right, on the side of the Tiber, was built by the ancient Romans in the 2nd
century BC. to stem the floods.
In 800 AD it became the church of Santa Maria Secundicerii but, in 1500 it beca- me the Church of Santa Maria Egiziaca, patron saint of prosti- tutes.
Just 70 years later,
Pope Pius V granted it to the Armenians who had lost their church with the establishment of the nearby
Jewish ghetto. In 1700 it was restored and a hostel was built for Armenian pilgrims, incorporating part of it as you can see in the photos.
In 1924 it was deconsecrated and, six years later, the hostel was demolished, finally freeing it from all the surrounding buildings.
The next photo was taken just as the hostel was being demolished. You can see the workers at work on the top floor!