Temple of Janus (Autun)

The "Temple of Janus" is a Romano-Celtic religious structure located in Autun, Saône-et-Loire, France, to the North-West of the ancient city of Augustodunum. The temple lies in the center of a vast sanctuary, whose extent and complexity was revealed by excavations conducted between 2013 and 2016. The site's history dates back to Neolithic times and underwent an important phase of monumental construction in the 1st century CE. The temple was abandoned at the onset of the Early Middle Ages, and its structures were later reused in the fashioning of a medieval defensive work. The temple has retained two sides of its square cella at a height of over 20 meters, as well as vestiges of its ambulatory and side structure foundations. The temple's supposed dedication to the Roman god Janus is not based on any archaeological or historic fact, and the deity that was venerated in the temple is unknown. The Temple of Janus was included on the first list of protected historical French monuments, established in 1840.