Roman Forum Romanum

Visit the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill in Rome - Info & Tickets

Would you like to visit the Forum Romanum in Rome? All the tips and tickets for visiting the Roman excavations of the Forum Romanum and the adjacent Palatine hill.

Forum Romanum or the 'Roman Forum'

It was not until the 19th century that excavations of the centre of the Roman empire at the base of the Capitol finally began. During the reign of emperor Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE), ancient Rome was already home to over a million Romans, and the Forum Romanum was the political, legal and religious centre of the Roman Empire.

During your visit, you walk by the many ruins of the Forum Romanum. Unfortunately, many buildings were damaged by earthquakes and plundering after the 7th century, but also by construction of palaces and churches such as St. Peter’s Basilica. However, the excavations can still tell you a lot about the history of the Roman Empire and no trip to Rome would be complete without a visit to the Forum Romanum.

You get to the Forum Romanum via the Via Sacra, the oldest and most famous road in Rome. The name ‘Sacred street’ is derived from the many temples and other holy sites that lined this street. Examples are the round Temple of Vesta, the Temple of Saturn, the basilica of Maxentius, and the official residences of the pontifex maximus, the arch of Septimus Severus and the rex sacrorum. You will also see the remains of arches, the speaker's platform, market halls and much more. Tip: Capitoline hill offers a magnificent view of the Roman Forum, giving you a good overview of the whole. It even has lovely lighting at night.

^{Excavations of the Forum Romanum from the Palatine Hill}

History of Forum Romanum

Until the 7th century BCE, the area between the hills of the Capitol, Palatine and Esquiline was a large swamp. It was used as a cemetery in those days, but it was not until after the 7th century BCE that the swamp was drained when the sewerage system of the Cloaca Maxima was built. The Temple of Saturn and the Temple of the Dioscuri were part of the first settlement there. During the 2nd century BCE, development of the forum accelerated after the power of the Roman Empire continued to grow in the Mediterranean. Beginning in 54 BCE, the so-called imperial fora (Fora Imperiali) arose next to the Forum Romanum, intended to preserve their fame for the ages. The most famous fora – which are still partially covered by nearby buildings – are:

• Forum of Caesar (Foro di Caesare) with the temple of Venus Genetrix. Tip: a special multimedia show is held on the Forum of Caesar in the evenings. It tells a story of the life of Julius Caesar with visual effects and sounds. Info and booking.
• Forum of Augustus (Foro di Augusto) with the temple of the god of war Mars Ultor. Tip: a special multimedia show is also held on the Forum of Augustus. It tells a story about Ancient Rome with visual effects and sounds Info and bookings.
• Forum of Vespasian with the temple of peace
• Forum of Trajan, the most impressive forum

^{The Palatine Hill from Circus Maximus}

Palatino (Palatine hill)

Palatine hill is one of the seven hills of Rome. During the 9th century BCE it became a residential neighbourhood that would later be home to important Romans such as Cicero, Crassus, Augustus and Tiberius. This last emperor ensured the 43-metre high hill's reputation as imperial residence. According to legend, Rome was founded by Romulus on Palatine Hill in 753 BCE.

Today, Palatine Hill is a major archaeological park and connected to the Forum Romanum. In the centre of Palatine hill, you can find – among other monuments – the impressive buildings of emperor Domitian (Domus Augustana) and the 16th-century gardens of cardinal Alessandro Farnese. The Antiquarium can also be found on Palatine Hill. This museum contains models of the first settlements and archaeological finds.

Video: Reconstruction of the Foro Romano

Where is the Roman Forum in Rome?