The Temple of Vesta at the Villa Gregoriana in Tivoli has been completely restored in only three months at a cost of 100,000. The restoration, which was presented to the public on 26 June, has been done by the FAI, a private foundation that looks after much of Italys cultural heritage not owned by the Italian state, and Arpai, the Italian section of the World Monuments Fund. The temple was built in the first century and was dedicated to Hercules, or Albunea. Originally built from travertine and tufa, the two stones most commonly found in the Tivoli area, it has been restored to its ancient splendour using the same materials.

This is the first archaeological restoration undertaken by the FAI and it has been particularly difficult because the temple stands on a cliff top and almost all of the building materials had to be brought up from the bottom of the gorge. FAI was responsible for the restoration of Villa Gregoriana, which was re-opened to the public in spring 2005.