The Temple of Vesta. dating from the 2nd Century, is one of the most ancient Roman sanctuaries in the Roman Forum. It was dedicated to Vesta, the goddess of the hearth and the everlasting flame. The much restored remains of the temple stands between the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the Temple of Caesar, the Regia and the House of the Vestal Virgins.

The circular temple was surrounded by twenty Corinthian columns and rested on a marble covered podium with a 15m diameter. The outer walls of the temple were decorated by semi-columns. The inside of the temple housed the sacred hearth where the Vestal Virgins kept the eternal fire burning.

The temple underwent many changes through the centuries.  All changes had one thing in common:  The building followed the circular ground plan and the entrance was always to the east.  The current temple dates from 191 BC, when Julia Domna, wife of the emperor Septimius Severus, ordered a thorough restoration.

The section of the temple that stands today was rebuilt in 1930 using ancient fragments.