Most people go to Rome for the churches—I went for the temples. One particulary fascinating area (at least to me ) is the Largo di Torre Argentina on what was the Campus Martius, where four ancient temples were discovered in the 1920s. The temples are also home to a cat sanctuary for Rome’s many stray cats. I so wanted to adopt one, but I didn’t think I could smuggle it home safely on the plane, so I had to settle for a donation. You can help too by visiting their website at www.romancats.com.

Juturna is the Roman Goddess of wells and springs. Originally an important Goddess married to Janus, God of beginnings and endings, and the mother of Fontus, God of fountains, later myths made her a mortal woman who was turned into a nymph by Jupiter in exchange for her virginity. Jupiter gave her control of a spring in the Roman Forum near to the Temple of Castor and Pollux. A well built over the spring, the Lacus Juturnae, is still in existence today, and it was from this well that the Vestal Virgins would draw water to use in their rituals. The water from her spring was said to have healing properties—Juturna’s name is derived from the Latin word juvare, which means “to help.” She was also worshipped at a temple in Rome’s Campus Martius, which was likely built around 240 BCE. Juturna’s name is also seen as Iuturna.