Roman Forum, Palatine, Colosseum

The Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill are located in the same archeological area in the small valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills

The forum Is a rectangular plaza surrounded by an impressive sprawl of ruins of several important ancient government buildings. For centuries, the Forum was the center of day-to-day life in Rome.

The site of triumphal processions, civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the success of a military commander who had led Roman forces to victory and elections; the venue for public speeches, criminal trials, and the nucleus of commercial affairs.

See sites like the Temple of Gaio Giulio Cesare and the House of the Vestal Virgins, The Arch of Settimo Severio, the Curia, The Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, Arch of Tito, Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, Basilica Aemilia and Basilica Julia, before strolling up Palatine Hill- the most famous of the Seven Hills of Rome, to admire the views of the ruins below Nero’s Circus Maximus, where chariot races were once held.

The Hill of the Palatine considered the birthplace of ancient Rome with the legend of Romulus and his twin brother Remus found and fed by a wolf or a lupa. It was chosen as the headquarters and residence of the roman leadership.

 

After exploring the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, walk the short distance to the Coliseum.

The Flavian Amphitheater, originally named after Vespasian's family (Flavian), or Coliseum, by the name of the nearby colossal statue of Nerone in Helios's clothes. This large amphitheater was commissioned by the emperor Vespasian in 72 AD in the grounds of Nero's vast Domus Aurea complex.

The amphitheater could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators, used for gladiatorial contests and public shows, animal hunts (Venatio) and dramas based on classical mythology.

Completed by his son and successor Titus and inaugurated in AD 80, for the occasion were held games lasting 100 days during which 5000 animals were killed!

We will go through five centuries of monumental history and experience the emotions experienced by the spectators of the past in this big arena, where the gladiators found the death between furious fighting and condemned to the capital punishment, among the screams of the people thirsty of blood.