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Roman Forum And Palatine Hill

Ruins of the Roman Empire

The Palatine Hill is one of the seven hills of Rome, 40 meters above sea level. The ancient Roman Forum at the foot of the hill was once the political, power, and religious center of the Roman Empire, preserving the remains of the Arch of Titus, the Arch of Septimius Severus, the Senate House, temples, and shrines.

The Roman Forum (Forum Romanum or Foro Romano), immediately west of the Colosseum, controlled the political and religious beliefs of the Roman Empire and was its heart and brain.

Along the Via Sacra, the Sacred Street outside the Colosseum, through the imposing Arch of Titus, there is a hill on the left, about 40 meters above sea level, which is the Palatine Hill (Latin: Collis Palatium; Italian: Palatino). It is said that Palatine Hill is the site of the story of the mother wolf feeding her babies, hence the origin of Rome. Many Roman emperors built palaces and gardens on the top of the hill, so The Palatine Hilltop Viewpoint is a perfect place to overlook the ancient Roman Forum.

The Roman Forum is situated in a valley between the Palatine Hill and Capitoline Hill. As the political center of the Roman Empire, it preserves the Arch of Septimius Severus and Column of Phocas. The Senate House, which was rebuilt in the 1930s, played an important role in the middle and late Roman Empire.

The temples were the most characteristic buildings in the Roman Forum, some of them were built in honor of Roman emperors and empresses, such as The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, the Temple of Caesar, the Temple of Saturn, together with the temple of Vesta, the Temple of Venus and Rome, and the Temple of Castor and Pollux, etc., which were dedicated to ancient Roman gods. In the courtyard of the House of the Vestal Virgins (Atrium Vestae or Casa delle Vestali), where virgin priestesses of the Goddess Vesta once lived, intact statues of the Vestal Virgins can still be seen.

Manywhere Tips:
Never forget to bring IMAGINATION with you when visiting the Roman Forum.

Between the cluster of ruins in the ancient Roman Forum, there are several other ruins of temples covering a wide area, mostly public places used by the people of ancient Rome. The Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine is one of the largest and best-preserved, with three groin vaults and a 100-meter-long foundation stone platform.

Walking through the ancient Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill garden, you can see the crumbling stone columns and brick walls. Who would have thought that the Roman Empire, which had lasted for a thousand years, would one day be in decline?