Palazzo Barberini Mithraeum, Ancient temple to Mithras at Palazzo Barberini, Rome, Italy.
The Palazzo Barberini Mithraeum is an underground temple consisting of a rectangular hall covered with wall paintings. The space has benches on both sides and a vaulted ceiling decorated with images of cosmic symbols and religious figures.
The temple was built in the third century after Christ and remained hidden beneath the remains of the city for centuries. It was discovered by chance in 1936 during construction work at Palazzo Barberini, revealing an almost intact ancient worship space.
The temple displays frescoes depicting the mythology of an eastern religion that drew Romans from various social backgrounds. The painted scenes help visitors today understand how people in Rome worshipped a deity from outside their own culture.
Access to the site requires advance booking and is typically offered through guided tours in Italian. Visitors must enter through the art gallery of Palazzo Barberini to reach the underground space.
The temple preserves a series of ten wall paintings that tell the story and deeds of the god Mithras and are particularly complete among all known temples of this religion. This visual narrative offers a rare window into the religious thinking of Romans of that period.
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