Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The temple of Augustus and Livius, located in Vienna, Isera, is a peripterous Roman building of the early first century, dedicated to imperial worship to honor Augustus and his wife Livius. Built in the forum of the ancient city of Vienna, it illustrates the transition between Republic and Empire, with a typical Corinthian architecture: 6 columns on the facade and a 2.75 m podium. Its pseudo-peripheral plan, unique in Gaul, makes it a model preserved with the Square House of Nîmes.

Transformed into a parish church (Sainte-Marie-la-Veille and then Notre-Dame-de-la-Vie) from the 6th century, the temple underwent medieval changes (Romanesque windows, bell tower). After the Revolution, it became a Temple of Reason (1792), and then housed a court, museum and library. Between 1852 and 1880, a major restoration, directed by Constant-Dufreux, made it its ancient appearance, with reconstruction of the cella and clearance of the surroundings. The last interventions (1974-1977, 2020) consolidated the structure and protected capitals.

The temple bears ancient inscriptions in bronze, partially reconstituted, dedicated to Rome, Auguste and Livie (divinized in 42 AD). Its history reflects political and religious changes: imperial worship, Christianization, revolution, and then heritageization. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1840, it bears witness to the Roman heritage in Gaul and its re-use throughout the centuries.

Architecturally, the temple combines two phases of construction: the rear part (stones of the Midi, elongated capitals) dates from the last quarter of the 1st century BC, while the facade and side columns (stone of Seyssel and choin) were rebuilt under Claude (I century AD), perhaps after an earthquake. The 19th century excavations revealed traces of fire and medieval modifications, such as ogival doors.

In the Middle Ages, the temple, integrated into the Delphinal Palace, served as a church until the Revolution. Its transformation into the Temple of Reason (1792-1795) marked a symbolic rupture, with revolutionary decorations (busts of Marat, Chalier) and decadent festivals. In the 19th century, Prosper Mérimée and the Commission des Monuments Historiques impulsed its restoration, removing modern additions to restore the ancient volume.

Today, the temple of Augustus and Livia, located in Charles de Gaulle Square, is a major vestige of Antiquity in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Its exceptional state of conservation, enigmatic inscriptions and turbulent history make it a key place to understand the Romanization of Gaul and the successive reappropriations of the heritage.

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