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 [1]. The temple lies in the center of a vast sanctuary, whose extent and complexity was revealed by excavations conducted between 2013 and 2016 [1]. 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 [1]. 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 [1]. 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 [1]. The particular form of this temple, called a fanum, is of the Gaulish tradition even though its architectural technique, datable to the 1st century of our era, was Roman [1]. The cella was built with a nearly square footprint and its elevation reaches up to around 24 meters, a record for Gaul [1].