A Forum was the main center of a Roman city. Usually located near the physical center of a Roman town, it served as a public area in which commercial, religious, economic, political, legal, and social activities occurred. Fora were common in all Roman cities, but none were as grand as the fora of Rome itself.
The Roman Forum or Forum Romanum or Foro Romano in Italian is a rectangular plaza surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum. Originally a marsh, the Romans drained the area and turned it into a centre of political and social activity. The Forum was the marketplace of Rome and also the business district and civic centre. It was for centuries the center of Roman public life: the site of triumphal processions and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and gladiatorial matches; and the nucleus of commercial affairs. Here statues and monuments commemorated the city's great men. The teeming heart of ancient Rome, it has been called the most celebrated meeting place in the world, and in all history. Located in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, the Forum today is a sprawling ruin of architectural fragments and intermittent archaeological excavations attracting 4.5 million sightseers annually In the area around the Forum, the city was also home to markets, shops and taverns. You could also find the typical Termopolia, which were the ancient equivalent of today's fast food restaurants. In short, the Forum was the heart and soul of city life. It was in Caesar's time, when Rome has become the capital of a vast empire, that the Forum became a place for celebrations and in the Imperial era it was the symbol of the Empire. The Legend goes that one of the first acts of Romulus, the city’s eponymous founder, was to establish a fortification wall around the Palatine Hill, the site of his new settlement. The Capitoline Hill, opposite the Palatine, emerged as the city’s citadel (arx) and site of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, among others Iron Age populations had used the marshy valley separating the Palatine and Capitoline hills as a necropolis but the burgeoning settlement of archaic Rome had need of communal space and the valley was repurposed from a necropolis to a usable space. This required several transformations, both of human activity and the natural environment. Burial activity had to be transferred elsewhere; for this reason the main necropolis site shifted to the far side of the Esquiline Hill. The second century B.C.E. saw the creation and introduction of a unique Roman building type, the basilica. The basilica was a columnar hall that often had a multi-purpose use—from law courts to commerce to entertainments. Roman planners came to prefer them for lining the long sides of open squares, The advent of the principate of Augustus (27 B.C.E. – 14 C.E.) brought about additions and renovations to the Forum Romanum. With the deification of Julius Caesar, Augustus’ adoptive father, a temple dedicated to Caesar’s cult (templum divi Iulii) was constructed on the edge of the forum square. Augustus restored existing buildings, completed incomplete projects, and added commemorative projects to celebrate his own accomplishments and those of his family members. In this latter group, the Arch of Augustus (#16 above) and the Porticus of Caius and Lucius are notable. The former was a triumphal arch celebrating significant military and diplomatic accomplishments of the emperor, while the latter honored the emperor’s grandsons. The monument that is considered to be the final ancient structure erected in the Forum Romanum is a re-purposed monumental column set in place by the emperor Phocas in August of 608 C.E. A major earthquake in 847 C.E. wreaked considerable damage on remaining Roman monuments in the forum and in its environs. During the Middle Ages ancient structures provided reusable buildings materials, as well as reusable foundations, for Medieval structures. While the Forum Romanum was the main forum of Rome, there were several other fora located throughout the city. Each of these fora had a specific purpose unto themselves. These included the Forum Boarium (the cattle market), and several Imperial Fora. Roman Emperors such as Augustus and trajan built the Imperial Fora, usually with the spoils of war, in order to celebrate themselves and their victories. The Forum was one of the important centers of Roman daily life. But the Forum had another purpose that we might find unusual. It was in the Forum where anyone who felt like it could stand and talk to the crowd and express their views on any subject. This was called Orating and the Romans loved it. Teachers of speech-making would bring their students to the forum and assign them to try and convince the crowd that a specific idea was the correct and proper idea. Politicians gave speeches here. Any adult male Roman citizen could speak in the Forum. The ancient Romans were great orators. The job of their orators was not to argue, but to argue persuasively! People thronging the Forum would stop and listen to anyone Orating, then wander away to do their shopping, and perhaps leave a gift at a temple for one of their gods.
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Piazza Navona is a plaza or square in Rome. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the games, and hence it was known as "Circus Agonalis" or competition arena. It is believed that over time the name changed to in avone to navone and eventually to navona.
The Piazza Navona is situated in the historic center of Rome, west of the Pantheon. It is one of Rome's liveliest squares, with many outdoor cafes, restaurants and night clubs in the neighborhood. Defined as a public space in the last years of 15th century, when the city market was transferred there from the Campidoglio, Piazza Navona was transformed into a highly significant example of Baroque Roman architecture and art during the pontificate of Innocent X, who reigned from 1644 until 1655. It features important sculptural and architectural creations: in the center stands the famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers, topped by the Obelisk of Domitian, brought in pieces from the Circus of Maxentius; the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone and the Pamphili palace. Piazza Navona has two other fountains. At the southern end is the Fontana del Moro at the northern end is the Fountain of Neptune. The main attraction in Piazza Navona is the Fontana die Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers). The fountain was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for Pope Innocent X. The base of the fountain is travertine rock which supports the four river Gods. Above the Gods is an ancient Egyptian obelisk with a dove and Pamphili. The Fontana del Moro or Fountain of the Moor, is located on the southern end of the square. The fountain was originally designed by Giacomo della Porta in 1575 with a dolphin and four Tritons. However, in 1653 the statue of the Moor was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. During 1874 the original statues were moved to the Galleria Borghese. The current statues are replicas. The third fountain of Piazza Navona is located on the north end of the square. The Neptune Fountain was formerly called the Fontana dei Calderari due to the many blacksmith shops located on the street near the fountain Of all Rome's piazzas, this isola pedonale (pedestrian precinct) is one where the liveliness of Roman life is most tangible. It has long been a meeting place for the inhabitants of Rome. The piazza revolves around the open-air-cafés and the seasonal fairs. Of these the most popular is the one held in December and early January where toys and crib figures are sold. Its theme if the Feast of Epiphany as well as Christmas, so la Befana (the Epiphany witch, who his roughly the Italian equivalent of Father Christmas) features prominently. In the summer the piazza provides a continous festival of painters, caricaturists, fortune-teller and buskers, who entertain visitors until the small hours. The Palatine Hill, Collis Palatium or Mons Palatinus or Palatino is the centremost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city. According to Roman mythology, the Palatine Hill was the location of the cave, known as the Lupercal, where Romulus and Remus were found by the she- wolf Lupa that kept them alive. Another legend occurring on the Palatine is Hercules' defeat of Cacus after the monster had stolen some cattle. Hercules struck Cacus with his characteristic club so hard that it formed a cleft on the southeast corner of the hill, where later a staircase bearing the name of Cacus was constructed.
No visit to Rome is complete without a thorough exploration of the ancient city, including the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill. This majestic hill towers over the Roman Forum and the Circus Maximus, the ruins of its ancient palaces still visible from a distance. It was once the home of emperors and the site of temples, The Palatine is also something of a green haven. Wild flowers grow among the ruins, and you might spot a rabbit scampering across the hill. Come here for a picnic, or to seek shade beneath the trees in the Farnese Gardens. Even at the height of the tourist season, the Palatine is surprisingly peaceful, so it’s a good place to escape the crowds. And then there are the views – perhaps the best in Rome. On one side, you can admire the Circus Maximus from high up, and look across to the Aventine Hill on the other side of the valley. But the most spectacular views are on the other side, where you can see the labyrinthine ruins of the Roman Forum in their entirety, the Colosseum, and the Capitoline Hill. The Palatine was desirable for a number of reasons – the mythical associations, the central location, the spectacular views of the city, the cooler temperatures in the summer, and the cleaner air. The residents of the Palatine got the best of both worlds, living in the center of the city without having to endure the noise and dirt of the streets below. During the Republican era, many wealthy Romans lived in luxurious villas on the Palatine. The hill later became home to Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, as well as Tiberius and Domitian. These emperors are responsible for most of the impressive ruins we see today, including the Flavian Palace, the Stadium of Domitian, and the House of Augustus. Other vast constructions, such as the Temple of Apollo (built on the orders of Augustus), and the mysterious decorative building known as the Septizodium, have disappeared, hardly leaving a trace of their existence. The Palatine Hill is littered with ruins from ancient palaces and other buildings. At the southern end, bordering Circus Maximus, are the remains of the palace of Septimius Severus, Roman emperor between 193 and 211 AD. Adjacent to the palace lie the ruins of the Baths of Septimius Severus. The stadium was built together with the Palace of Domitian, which formed the heart of the Palatine Hill. For three centuries the palace, built in 81 AD, held the title of Rome's largest palace. Domitian's Palace was constructed between two crests after the tallest one - the Palatium - was topped off and the ground used to level the hilltop. The palace consisted of two wings: a private one (the Domus Augustana) and a public one (the Domus Flavia). Remains of both wings can still be found. House of Livia, one of the best preserved houses on the Palatine Hill. The house dates back to the 1st century BC and was the home of Emperor Augustus and his wife Livia. Archaeologists also discovered remains of an early settlement on the Palatine Hill, probably dating back to the times of the first king of Rome, Romulus. Hence this site is known as the Hut of Romulus. At the north-west end of the Palatine Hill are the ruins of the Palace of Tiberius (aka Palace of Caligula), built in the 1st century AD. Later, a 16th-century cardinal turned the hill into the Farnese Gardens, incorporating the ruins into a tree-shaded park of terraces, lawns, flowerbeds, pavilions, and fountains for social occasions. The alluring combination of some of Rome's most imposing remains, framed by trees, with views over the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, and other Roman landmarks makes this a popular tourist attraction, especially for those tired of the crowds below. When you walk through the still-impressive ruins of these palaces, temples, and public buildings constructed under Augustus and his successors, you are walking through the history of the Roman Empire. |
Rome Private ToursThere are plenty to do in Rome, Italy. Here is our recommended points of interest for Groups of friends and family to get together and enjoy. Categories
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