Everything in the Capitoline Museums means something, even stones put in a corner next to the giant bronze equestrian statue depitcting Marcus Aurelius. They are related to a temple that was a real symbol of Rome, since the beginning of the Roman history: the so called Temple of Giove Capitolino, also known as Giove Massimo, which was set at the top of the Capitoline Hill.

According to the literary sources the site construction was inaugurated by Tarquinio Prisco, fifht king of Rome, at the beginning of the VI century b.C. Then just the last king of Rome, Tarquinio The Superb, really completed the incredible temple. It is curious to understand how this sacred place was one of the reasons why the last king of Rome was fought by his citizens! He was a real tyrant, according to the official roman sources, and it seems that the temple cost a lot, so much that the Romans could not accept it. So it is the reason why the Romans fought him, declaring the Republic. It is nice to know of the Temple of Giove Capitolino was officialy inaugurated at the end of the VI century b.C. by one of the first consuls of the new Republic of Rome: Marco Orazio Pulvillo.

The temple was almost 150 ft long for 180 ft large, and it was a periptero sine postico temple: it means that it was surrounded by a columnade except the rear, which was closed by a wall. It is very hard today to imagine how really was the temple, especially because of the fires, the restorations and the destructions that changed the building over the centuries. Sometimes we can imagine something reading some literary sources, and it is the reason why we know that at the beginning the Temple of Giove Capitolino was surmounted by a wonderful quadriga (a charriot led by four horses) made by the studio of Vulca, an ancient and famous Etruscan artist. He was the same man who probably realized the painted terracotta elements of other etruscan temples not so far from Rome, decorations that are displayed inside the Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, always here in the Eternal City (to discover more click here). 

Moreover the temple was not dedicated just to Jupiter, but to the so called "Capitoline Triad": Jupiter, Juno and Menerva. This specific trio came from the Etruscan culture, as other several social and cultural aspects of the ancient Romans. It is true and sure that there was a cultural assimilation, but according to some scholars and interpretations Rome was really conquered, with armies and soldiers, by the Etruscans. It is the reason why the last kings of Rome, as Tarquinio The Superb, were Etruscans... Then imagine how the Temple of Jupiter was really the main in the city: here the triumphs ended, here the main sacrifices and rituals were made, here for a certain time the famous Sybilline Books were host.

But this temple symbolized something more, something really important to understand the Roman moral and religion: the "romanizzazione" of Jupiter. The Romans official declared in a religious and social how Jupiter should not be just the Father of the Gods, but also the protector of Rome and of the Romans. Whey the Roman armies fought against enemies that knew that Jupiter was always with Rome! It is the reason why the symbol of the power in Rome was the eagle, the main animal who represented Jupiter in the past. Each single village or kingdom conquered by Rome must know that Jupiter was the celestial leader of the Romans, that Jupiter could get angry if someone was so stupid to challenge Rome... Probably it is not a case that the Temple of Jupiter was a sort reaction that the Romans had regarding to another famous temple dedicated to the same God: the so called sanctuary of Juppiter Latialis. This important sacred place stood at the top of a mountain located 10 miles far from Rome, to the south. It was a religious landmark for several Latin tribes, the same tribes which made an alliance to fight Rome, when the small city of pastors was able to be a real world power. And so, in some degree, Rome didn’t defeat just the Latins, but also their main God...