The Capitolium of Brescia, a hexastyle temple dedicated to the Capitoline Triad (Jupiter, Juno, Minerva), was built in the 1st century AD in a dominant position at the heart of Roman Brixia.
The building, which stands on the site of an earlier Republican temple, is the work of Emperor Vespasian (69-79 AD), who commissioned it in 73 A.D. to celebrate his victory over General Vitellius as confirmed by the inscription, now partially reconstructed, that originally featured on the pediment: "IMP. CAESAR VESPASIANUS AUGUSTUS / PONT. MAX. TR. POTEST IIII EMP. X P. P. CAS. IIII / CENSOR".
Destroyed during the Barbarian invasions of the 4th century AD, the temple was later buried by a landslide when the Cidneo hill collapsed during the Middle Ages. It was only brought to light in 1823, when the houses built in this area over time were demolished.
In 1826, a group of Roman bronzes was found in the cavity of the wall separating the sacred area from the hill, including the Winged Victory now on display in the eastern cell after restoration by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence.
The Brixia Archaeological Park, and its temple, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011 in the site "Lombards in Italy: Places of Power (568-774 AD)".
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