Santa Maria in Tempulo

Santa Maria in Tempulo is a church building on the Caelian Hill featuring stone walls, a bell tower, and architectural elements from its religious past. The structure displays a solid form with classical church characteristics that remain partly visible beneath later modifications.

The building originated as a Greek chapel dedicated to Saint Agatha in the 6th century and later became a Benedictine monastery documented in records from the 1100s. By the 1200s the site underwent significant changes and lost its original monastic role.

The complex once housed a female monastic community that followed strict religious rules and lived in seclusion from the outside world. Their presence shaped the spiritual character of the building for centuries.

The building now serves as a municipal venue for civil ceremonies and is located along Valle delle Camene street. Access may be limited depending on scheduled private events held at the site.

The building was incorporated into the Villa Celimontana estate and converted into a fountain structure in the 1600s when a noble family integrated it into their gardens. This transformation shows how religious spaces were repurposed as ornamental features during the Renaissance period.