BlogoItaliano already mentioned in passing both the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, on the slopes of which the emperors' palaces were once located. However, this topic is far from exhausted, and we decided to return to it in more detail. From this article you will learn about the history and the most interesting buildings of the Roman Forum, its opening hours, tickets and how best to organize your visit.
Helpful advice: Before visiting, we recommend that you install the most useful audio guide for the Roman Forum for iPhone link. It will help you navigate the territory of the archaeological complex, get around its main places, find out their history and mission.
All important objects are already marked on the map in the audio guide, GPS will help you navigate easily, and audio stories work even without the Internet. The first 5 points can be heard free of charge, and the entire tour of 35 objects across the Forum, the Coliseum and the Palatine will cost only 5 Euros. It is much cheaper than even the most budget excursions. Download the application on your iPhone here.
May Rome and the Forum
Linguists still find it difficult to answer the question about the origin of the word "forum". According to one version, it goes back to the Latin noun fores - doors and dialects of foris and foras, which means "outside."
The fact is that previously the market squares - and Roman forum originally it was - located outside the city walls. That is, “outside”, behind the “doors”. And what is the city in the understanding of the ancients? Several residential and administrative buildings and a temple behind a stone fence, locked at night.
In the afternoon, all life was focused on the market square, where foreigners who decided to sell or buy something were freely admitted. Thus, the forum is a place for trade, conversation, discussion.
The Roman Forum in ancient times was a place of trade and discussion.
But at first there was no forum, but there was a swampy swamp between several hills on which Rome would later spread, including the Palatine and the Capitol. Along the perimeter of the bog, in the lower part of the hills, as early as the VIII century. BC. burials were made.
Only 2 centuries after the legendary foundation of Rome (in 753 BC) the swamp was drained. Ditches were built for wastewater, and the construction of an extensive drainage system, called Big Cesspools, began. It is worth noting that the ancient sewage system, which is more than one and a half millennia, copes well with water diversion to this day.
The huge site that was formed was bombarded and started to be built up, first with the shopping arcades and shrines of Vesta, Saturn, Vulcan, and soon with administrative and public buildings - it arose Roman forum, without which today it is impossible to imagine the Italian capital, and perhaps the whole history of the ancient world.
Roman Forum: fragments of former greatness that have survived to this day
Construction on the territory of the Roman Forum was ongoing: some buildings were replaced by others. And for various reasons: due to fires, raids by unfriendly tribes, or as a result of the so-called “memory curse” imposed by the Senate.
Memory was cursed in the same way as it is sometimes in our times: monuments and palaces were destroyed, a strict ban was placed on the mention of the name of a traitor in any context. So, the equestrian statue of Domitian, standing in the middle of the Roman Forum, after the death of this ambiguous emperor, was dismantled.
To this day, the forum has preserved a little
Few buildings of the Roman Forum have been preserved to this day. Until 1860, local residents pulled stones from majestic temples for their own needs, and herds of goats and cows grazed in the once prosperous economic center of the city.
Curia
The only surviving building is Curia - the seat of the Senate of the Roman Empire. However, this is just a reconstructed copy of the ancient structure. At the time of Mussolini, Curia was greatly reduced. Since ancient times, only impressive stone floors have been preserved inside.
Curia - the only restored building of the Roman Forum
Relief rostres (figures from captured enemy ships), which were installed in the stands for speakers, have survived to our days.
Comicium
Comicium was located next to Curia, an open meeting place. Over time, the committee built up new temples and basilicas, until there was a small area separated from the Curia by a large black stone.
The black stone (from the Latin Lapis Niger) according to legend indicates the burial place of Romulus - the founder of Rome
Black stone
Black stone is another attraction of the Roman Forum. According to legend, it was here, under the stone, that Romulus, one of the founders of the Eternal City, was buried.
Golden Mile and the Navel of the Earth
The Golden Mile, which served as a reference point for all Roman roads and distances, and the Navel of the Earth, which according to ancient traditions and beliefs helped establish ties with the underground forces, attract tourists' attention on the forum.
Famous Navel of the Earth in the Roman Forum
Temples of the Roman Forum
The once majestic temples of antiquity have survived to our days in a deplorable state, most of them now are only a couple of columns installed on an ancient foundation.
This is the famous temple of Vesta, the ancient Roman goddess of the family hearth, the patroness of fire. In honor of the goddess, fire always burned in the temple. Supported by his priestesses of the temple - vestals - girls from noble families.
Temple of Vesta
To the left of the Vesta temple was located the no less magnificent temple of Antonin Faustina, built by Emperor Antonin in memory of the untimely departed wife Faustina in 141 AD It was almost completely dismantled into stones, but only all attempts to dump majestic columns turned out to be futile.
Later, in the XI century, Catholic priests used the foundation and ancient columns to build a new church in honor of St. Lawrence. It was this fact that contributed to the preservation of the colonnade within the framework of the Romanesque basilica.
The columns remained both from the temple of Saturn, and from the temple of Dioscuros. Last - for a long time was considered one of the most important holy places of Rome. It was built in honor of the gods Castor and Pollux, the patrons of horses and riders, assistants in military battles.
An interesting fact is that the semi-dismantled Dioskurov temple during the reign of Caligula served as the main entrance to the palace of the emperor. That is how the ruler, whose name became a household name, decided to once again emphasize his divine origin.
Dioscuri Temple in Caligula's time was the entrance to the imperial palace
Another significant building of Ancient Rome was considered the temple of the patrons of Rome, the goddesses Venus and Roma. The giant building of 145-meter length and 100-meter width was built by order of Emperor Hadrian in the II century. AD
It was not only the scale that struck, but also the unusual construction: the two domes (cells) of the sanctuary were located opposite each other. Oriental cella has survived to our days, as it has long served as part of the later church of Santa Francesca Romana.
Araka Titus appeared on the Forum after the capture of Jerusalem
In the southeastern part of the forum, on the site of the burning of the body of the murdered Julius Caesar in the 1st century AD another temple was built in his honor - the temple of Caesar. Julius Caesar became the second deified Roman in the history of the Roman Empire, after the founder of the city of Romulus.
30 years later, a temple appeared in the forum in honor of the emperor Vespasian, from which only ruins survived to this day. In ruins you can see the last temple of Concordia, the Roman goddess of concord and reconciliation, built in the 4th century.
Basilica
Within the walls of the Roman Forum, there are three basilicas of the beginning of a new era. The largest - the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, served not only as a temple, but also as a meeting place for the city council, and as a venue for the Olympic Games. In the basilica of Julia, the Roman Senate gathered and trials were held, and in the basilica of Emilia there was a market, a court and a venue for civil gatherings. Unfortunately, now we can only imagine what these magnificent temples looked like.
The Basilica of Maxentius - the most impressive building of the Roman Forum
Arc de Triomphe
The Triumphal arches of Titus, Tiberius and Septimius Severus were well preserved. The arches gained special popularity among the newlyweds. In Rome, it is believed that if you drive along Via Gregorio along the ancient arches on a wedding day, family life will be long and happy.
Other buildings
Among the others preserved on the forum are the ruins of Regia, which served as the seat of the Supreme Pontiff, and Tabularium, which housed the state archive of the Roman Empire, and the oldest prison in the holy city of Mamertin, in which, according to legend, the apostles Peter and Paul spent the last days.
In Tabularia (in the background with a tower) housed the archive of the Roman Empire
The last addition to the historical ensemble was the Foki column, erected in 608 in honor of the Byzantine emperor Foki.
Address and how to get
Address: The Roman Forum is located near the Coliseum at Via della Salara Vecchia, 5/6, 00186 Roma
You can get here:
- by metro - line B, station Colloseo;
- city buses of routes 60, 75, 84, 85, 87, 117, 175, 271, 571, 810, 850;
- by taxi.
Opening hours
The Roman Forum is open daily, except for major holidays on January 1, May 1 and December 25. Opening hours depend on the time of year:
- 8: 30-16: 30 from the last Sunday of October to February 15;
- 8: 30-17: 00 from February 16 to March 15;
- 8: 30-17: 30 from March 16 to the last Saturday of March;
- 8: 30-19: 15 from the last Sunday of March to August 31;
- 8: 30-19: 00 from September 1 to 30;
- 8: 30-18: 30 from October 1 to the last Saturday of October.
Ticket offices close one hour before the forum closes.
Roman Forum Tickets
Like the other main attractions of Rome, the Forum does not lack visitors. There are plenty of people who want to get here both in winter and summer. The situation is somewhat simplified by the fact that tickets for the Forum, the Palatine and the Colosseum are the same. That is, with one ticket you can visit all 3 attractions.
It is best to start the inspection from the Forum. As a rule, the queue at the box office of the Forum is much smaller, and the ticket, as we noted above, is also suitable for the Coliseum. In addition, tickets are valid for 2 days, and therefore you can fully devote 1 day to the Forum (it will take several hours), and the second to the Coliseum and Palatine.
Finally, you can purchase tickets in advance - via the Internet at this link. This will avoid queues and save a few precious hours. This is especially true if you are planning a trip to Rome in May or in September-October. A few Euro overpayments for an online purchase will result in hours saved in the city. Therefore, do not be greedy, otherwise it will turn out to be more expensive.
| Check ticket availability and prices ››› |
Excursions to the Forum and the Coliseum
But still it is best to attend the Roman Forum with a guided tour or an individual guide. After all, here every stone breathes history, and you simply miss most places without a guide. You can find out the current schedule and prices of excursions from the Russian-speaking guide Lela, with whom BlogoItaliano has been friends since 2013. Just write her a request by e-mail email protected or through the feedback form under the article. Lela usually responds during the day.
Mail to Lela:
* By clicking on the "Send Message" button, I consent to the processing of personal data and agree to the privacy policy
Photos by: Smalloy, KayYen, arthurrichards77, mmarftrejo
