Temple of Hercules Victor

This temple is said to be the only surviving sacred structure in ancient Rome that was made of Hellenic marble and is attributed to the architect Hermodoros of Salamina, who constructed it towards the end of the 2nd century BCE on behalf of M. Octavius Herennius, who was an olive oil dealer. The plan for this temple was a circular one, with 20 corinthian columns around a central cylindrical stone block—which was perhaps placed where Hercules performed his 10th labor. It housed a bronze cult statue inside that was suspected to have been made by Skpos Minore, but this statue is now in the Capitoline Museum. Interestingly, in 1140, Innocent III converted it into a church dedicated to San Stefano and then in the mid-16th century, it was then dedicated to Santa Maria del Sole. Its affiliations with Christianity still linger, as the interior of the building retains a fresco depicting Madonna and Child with Saints that dates back to the end of the 15th century. 

Sources

1. World Monuments Fund. (2018). Temple of Hercules. World Monuments Fund. https://www.wmf.org/project/temple-hercules