T
The Daily Insight

Who built La Maison Carrée

Author

Rachel Hickman

Published Apr 25, 2026

Originally built in 16 BC by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa – the close friend and confidant of Emperor Augustus – the building was dedicated to Agrippa’s sons (and the adopted heirs of Augustus) Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar between 4 and 7 AD.

What is La Maison Carrée?

The so-called Maison Carrée or “square house” is an ancient Roman temple located in Nîmes in southern France. … The Maison Carrée is an extremely well preserved ancient Roman building and represents a nearly textbook example of a Roman temple as described by the architectural writer Vitruvius.

Why is it called the Maison Carrée?

The Maison Carrée (French pronunciation: ​[mɛzɔ̃ kaʁe]; French for “square house”) is an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, southern France; it is one of the best preserved Roman temples to survive in the territory of the former Roman Empire. The Maison Carrée inspired the neoclassical Église de la Madeleine in Paris, St.

Where was the Maison Carrée built?

Maison-Carrée, Roman temple at Nîmes, France, in remarkably good repair. According to an inscription, it was dedicated to Lucius and Gaius Caesar, adopted sons of Augustus; it was probably built before the death of Marcus Agrippa, Augustus’s friend and the boys’ father, about 12 bc.

What is the Maison Carrée built out of?

26 metres long and 17 metres high, the Maison Carrée presents beautiful and harmonious elements of Classical architecture. The façades are composed of Corinthian columns, six in front and eleven on each side. Fifteen steps lead to the “pronaos”, the vestibule, bordered by colonnades.

What is the Maison Carrée used for today?

The Maison Carrée or “Square House” is the best preserved Roman temple in Europe. It sits undisturbed in the small city of Nîmes, which also has a splendid Roman amphitheater, still used for bull-fighting and other spectacles.

What is the Temple of Bacchus made of?

Like the Temple of Jupiter, it is in the Corinthian order, with 8 columns along the front and rear and 15 down the sides; the columns are again of local limestone with unfluted shafts.

Who built temple of Bacchus?

The temple was commissioned by Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius and designed by an unknown architect c.150 AD, and built close to the courtyard in front of the larger temple of Jupiter-Baal.

Who built Phoenician temple in Lebanon?

The temple was probably commissioned by Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius (r. AD 138-161).

Who built Baalbek?

Major construction in Baalbek first began under the Phoenicians, and it was the Phoenicians who erected an enormous temple to the Phoenician sky god, Baal. Baal was one of the most important gods in the Phoenician pantheon, making Baalbek a popular site for pilgrimages from across the region.

Article first time published on

Who originally built the Pantheon?

Pantheon, building in Rome that was begun in 27 bc by the statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, probably as a building of the ordinary Classical temple type—rectangular with a gabled roof supported by a colonnade on all sides.

Why did the Romans built the Pantheon?

The Roman Pantheon is the most preserved and influential building of ancient Rome. It is a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods of pagan Rome. … The emperor Hadrian (A.D 117-138) built the Pantheon to replace Augustus’ friend and Commander Marcus Agrippa’s Pantheon of 27 B.C. which burnt to the ground in 80 A.D.

Who built the Pantheon in Paris?

Panthéon, building in Paris that was begun about 1757 by the architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot as the Church of Sainte-Geneviève to replace a much older church of that name on the same site. It was secularized during the French Revolution and dedicated to the memory of great Frenchmen, receiving the name Panthéon.

Who destroyed Baalbek?

The ruined temple complex was fortified under the name al-Qala’ ( lit. “The Fortress”) but was sacked with great violence by the Damascene caliph Marwan II in 748, at which time it was dismantled and largely depopulated.

Who built Angkor Wat?

Angkor Wat, temple complex at Angkor, near Siĕmréab, Cambodia, that was built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II (reigned 1113–c. 1150). The vast religious complex of Angkor Wat comprises more than a thousand buildings, and it is one of the great cultural wonders of the world.

Was Baalbek temple built by Indians?

In Lebanon, there is a temple in Baalbek which is over 4,000 years old. Children in Lebanon schools study that Indian labor, elephants, sculptors and yogis constructed this. It is a massive temple.

Who built the Jupiter temple?

The first Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, which was built by Tarquinius Superbus but consecrated by Horatius, burned down in the civil wars [in 83 BC]. Sulla built the second temple, but Catulus got the credit for its dedication.

Why was the temple of Bacchus made?

This temple is dedicated to Bacchus, the god of wine, grape harvest, fertility, and theater. Bacchus is the Roman name for the Greek god Dionysius. It is so well preserved that carvings of lions, bulls, and eagles are still visible. It is believed that the temple was constructed between 150 A.D. and 250 A.D.

Why was the temples of Baalbek built?

As early as 9000 BC, Baalbek was a place for worship and became a cornerstone of ancient civilizations. … As significant holy grounds, Baalbek was a center for Mesopotamian, Roman, Christian and Islamic worship as each group introduced their own heritage to this sacred monument.

How did the Romans built Baalbek?

The city of Baalbek reached its apogee during Roman times. … The acropolis of Baalbek comprises several temples. The Roman construction was built on top of earlier ruins which were formed into a raised plaza, formed of twenty-four monoliths, the largest weighing over 800 tons.

What is the history of Baalbek?

Inhabited as early as 9000 BCE, Baalbek grew into an important pilgrimage site in the ancient world for the worship of the sky-god Baal and his consort Astarte, the Queen of Heaven in Phoenician religion (the name ‘Baalbek’ means Lord Baal of the Beqaa Valley). … Baalbek is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

How old is Lebanon?

With nearly 5,000 years of history, Lebanon is one of the world’s oldest countries.

Who was Caesar's adopted son and successor?

Augustus was no stranger to assassination plots. Fortunately, Augustus did not suffer the same fate as his adoptive father, Julius Caesar. Augustus died of natural causes on August 19, 14 CE, at age 75. He was immediately succeeded by his adopted son, Tiberius.

Who was the emperor when the Pantheon was built?

This time period for construction proves the Pantheon was built under the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian. The name Pantheon comes from the Greek words pan and theon, which mean all and gods, respectively.

Did Greece have aqueducts?

Aqueducts were used in ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, and ancient Rome. … Much larger channels may be used in modern aqueducts. Aqueducts sometimes run for some or all of their path through tunnels constructed underground.