Il Sanctuary of Hercules Victor located in Tivoli was built during the 2nd century B.C. It was an imposing structure, long deteriorated, with restoration work only completed in June 2011. It stood on a stretch of the ancient Tiburtina road and important parts of the complex were incorporated into the former paper mill of Tivoli (beneath the medieval district).
The sanctuary, with a rectangular plan (188 x 140 m), originally measured 3000 m2 and consists of three main parts: the theater, which makes use of the natural slope of the land, a large square with porticos, and the temple itself. A series of terraces, porticos, and colonnades created a grand scenery around the place of worship, according to the tastes of the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. The sanctuary was located outside the city walls, along the road that anciently connected the Samnium to the Roman plain and represented a crucial economic hub for all the populations of central-southern Italy.
The ancient city of Tivoli was identified with the cult of Hercules (Herculaneum Tibur) precisely because of its strategic position and worshiped him both as a warrior god (who allowed the historic victory over the Volsci), and as protector of commerce and the seasonal migration of herds, a fundamental activity for the city’s original economy. The cult of Hercules, one of the most important in Lazio, originated in Tivoli, and tradition holds that it was exported to Rome in the late Republican era by Marcus Octavius Erennius.
The temple housed one of the most important and well-attended colleges of musicians (tibicines) in Italy. The dances and songs of the cult were celebrated in the month of August. The structure of the temple, with the theater resting on the hill dominated by the sacred place itself, has many similarities with the nearby and contemporary sacred area of the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia in Palestrina, which is still well preserved and visitable.
Hours of the Sanctuary of Hercules Victor
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM from January 2 to February 29
11:00 AM – 6:30 PM in the month of March *
10:00 AM – 7:00 PM from the last Sunday of March to September 30
11:00 AM – 6:30 PM in the month of October **
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM from the last Sunday of October to December 31 *
From the last Sunday of March, with the start of daylight saving time, hours 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM **
From the last Sunday of October, with the return to standard time, hours 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Visits before opening hours (from 9:00 AM) are only possible for groups, with mandatory reservation. The Sanctuary of Hercules Victor is closed on January 1 and December 25, except for special openings under the MiBAC project.
