The best way to visit the Roman Forum

First of all it is important not to confuse the Imperial Roman Forum with the Republican Roman Forum. The Roman Forum is the old Republican Square, on the Palatine hill that was built during the first settlement of Rome. It actually happened that already for the ancients this place had a strong symbolic value and some emperors (beginning with Augustus) built their palaces there with evident intent of propaganda.

The visit and "the read" of the square of the ancient Roman Forum  because of this series of foundations of later times is indeed a little bit hard for who is not an expert. In this case, we recommend more than ever the presence of a guide. The visit to the archaeological area of the Palatine is charged with the same ticket but you can also visit the Colosseum - Flavian Amphitheater - which is located immediately after the ancient Roman Forum.

The Colosseum is open to visitors all year except December 25 and January 1, from 9 am until one hour before sunset. The cost of tickets is € 10.50, but may vary depending on special events and exhibitions with an additional charge of € 2. The Coliseum is directly accessible with the bus from Termini Station Colosseum Metro Line B inaugurated February 10, 1955.

After visiting the Colosseum you may walk to via  Celio Vibenna and then  through via San Gregorio. It is a walk of just  800 meters towards the Circo Massimo metro station B. Here you can decide to continue with a visit to the Circus Maximus and eventually continue the route between the churches of the Aventine, or take the Metro, which quickly takes you back to the Colosseum or to Termini Central Station.

Useful information and Point of Access to the Roman Forum:
Points of departure and arrival:Piazza Venezia and/or Circo Massimo
Getting There: by public transport- Starting from the Termini station you can take the 40 bus and get off at Piazza Venezia  Rome city centre

Opening hours - when to Visit the Roman Forum:
The Roman Forum are open daily during daylight hours, closing hours vary from winter to summer. The perfect day for this tour is Sunday because the busy Via dei Fori Imperiali becomes a pedestrian area, however the street has wide sidewalks. The pathway, which leads from Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheatre), is bordered by the Roman Forum and the Trajan Market.

Guided tour available: 2-3 hours average duration. A possible tour: The Imperial Forums, the Roman Forum: Temple of Saturn, Arch of Septimius Severus, Lapis Niger, Curia, Via Sacra, Basilica Giulia and Emilia, Temple of Caesar, the Dioscuri, of Vesta, of Antoninus and Faustina and the Basilica of Maxentius Arch Titus, Palatine Hill, the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum.

Tickets: Roman Forum, Colosseum and Palatine- single ticket valid for 2 days: € 12 (+ € 3 in the case of  exhibitions), € 7,50 (+ € 3 in case of exhibition)  european students up to 24 years, free for less than 18 and more than 65 years. Moreover Roman Forum and the Colosseum are included within Rome Pass Circuit.

Roman Forum - NEW OPENINGS 2010

After the opening of the Temple of Venus and the inauguration of the Arches Severiane and the Vigna Barberini at the Palatine hill, even Villa Appia Antica Quintili with a new layout of paths and new excavations opened in Rome on 2010.

In 1985 the Italian State acquired Quintili Villa, which was then a stretch of twenty-four hectares of the Appia Antica landscape without any archaeological attraction. With the first season of excavations, intense and frantic, exceptional beauty rooms, floors, small baths, sculptures, objects and materials of the Villa have emerged. These new discovers joined those already under investigation at the beginning of the twentieth century and exhibited in the Museo delle Terme. Now everything will be relocated to place of the discovery.

Archaeologia Card  include  all the new openings and is valid for 7 days. Included in this card: Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, Crypta, Terme di Diocleziano, the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine, Terme di Caracalla, Villa dei Quintili, Mausoleum of Cecilia Metella.

An interesting walk at the Roman Forum

The valley of the Roman Forum was formed by the erosion of Tiber river at the base of the seven hills and was originally occupied by a marsh known as the Velabrum. On one side of this marsh, just behind the Palatine, take place some of the most important monuments of the ancient Rome (See here an amazing view of the Roman Forum from the Campidoglio).

Roman form is considered the centre of Roman history throughout the period of Republic, right down to the 1st century AD. At the beginning came the great temples representing the city's magnificent importance from the start of its history. While Basilicas were only built up starting from the 3rd century with the scope to provide citzens with a covered area for business and assembly as an alternative to open areas. Basilica Porcia and Sempronia were the earliest in the 3rd century, later subsituted by Basilica Aemilia and Julia. The imperial period from the reign of Augustus saw the definitive change of the Roman Forum into a monumental square which served mainly to commemorative purposes, adorned and opulent but deprived of its historic functions.

Walk in the Roman Forum

Coming from Piazza Venezia the entrance is just on the right, while on the opposite side near the Colosseum the entrance is behind the Arco di Costantino. Let's start from Piazza Venezia: Go through the gate and follow the short ramp down the left side of the Temple of Antonious and Faustina; on the right you will see the area of Basilica Aemilia that was bulit by the censors Marcus Aurelius lepidus and Marcus Fulvius Nobilior in 179 BC. Take a moment to admire the feauterd two-storey colonnade of piers decorated with engaged columns than enter: the large interior divided into four aisles will surprise you.

Following the walk into the Secred Way (that was considered the most important street in the ancient Rome) you can traverse the whole area of Forum. Near the area of basilica Aemilia, at the meeting point of the via Sacra with the Argiletum the road leads to the Suburra neighbourhood and there there is what remains of a small brick building which has been identified as the Temple of Janus.

Continuing in the direction of Rome Capitoline hill you will come to the Arch of Septimius Severus that was a way to immortalize the record of his victories in Africa. Immediately on the right there is also the platform of the Temple of Concord , of which only a few fragments are still left. Further to the left stand the imposing and amazing Temple of Saturn built in 498 BC and dedicated to the god who found the first village in the Rome Capitoline Hill.

Returning to the Forum Square you can go towards the east area where the first thing to see along the path is for sure what is left of the temple dedicated by Augustus in 29 BC to Julius Cesar and called Temple of Divus Julius. To the right of this temple are also the remains of the Temple of Castor and Pollux.

Than going head along the Rome Sacred Way you will meet also: the Temple of Romulus and on the left the Basilica of Maxentius a gigantic basilica which is divided into three asisles by four colossal piers and topped with barred vaults, on the high ground of the Velia. During the summer the Basilica of Maxentius is open in the night with cinema, readings and theatre events for tourists and romans.

Finally continuing the ascent you come to the Arch of Titus that was dedicated to Titus by his brother Domitian. it has a single passage and its two fecades featue couples of engaged colums with composite capitals. the keystones of the arch depict Rome on east side and the Genius of Rome people on the west side.

The imperial period from the reign of Augustus saw the definitive change of the Roman Forum into a monumental square which served mainly to commemorative purposes, adorned and opulent but deprived of its historic functions