In architecture, any of various elements that form the foot or base, of a structure, such as a raised pedestal or base, a low wall supporting columns, or the structurally or decoratively emphasized lowest portion of a wall. The podium formed a sort of shelf or seat around a wall. The term podium is also used for raised platforms in general, as for speakers, and for a low basement. The architectural podium is usually designed with a modeled base and plinth at the bottom; a central surface known as a die, or dado; and a projecting cornice, or cap. Major Roman examples can be seen in the Maison Carrée (c 12 BC) in Nîmes, France, and the Temple of Fortuna Virilis (c 40 BC) in the Forum Boarium at Rome.