As you reach the top of the stairs, you see the colonnaded porch rise above you. The columns are of a composite order and stand on individual plinths that extend off the podium. To your right and left, the spaces between the columns are filled with grillwork, but straight in front of you, the way is open to the porch and the double doorway to the cella beyond.
The above coin of Nero clearly shows the stairs at the front of the temple. Many other coins were issued depicting this temple, indicating its importance to the city. For example, a Republican coin of 55 BCE shows the doors of the temple open and a magistrate's curule chair inside, referring to an incident in 113 BCE when several Vestal Virgins were investigated for misconduct. A gold coin of Vespasian symbolically represents the goddess inside her temple, with statues on either side.
Temple of Vesta