Roman Forum - The centre of public life in Ancient Rome. The Roman Forum, located at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, was the civic heart of Ancient Rome. It was a major meeting place, a business centre, the Republic's political centre, a centre of Pagan religious activity, as well as an architectural centre, dotted with triumphal arches and temples dedicated to deified emperors.
It stands in the middle of the seven hills, where villages were inhabited by peasant-soldiers, the Latins and Sabines. This marshland soon became the place where chiefs met to take common decisions, such as the birth of the Forum, that you discover today, and where soon temples and public buildings were erected.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Forum was abandoned. Over the course of time, it became a vast expanse of ruins, where Rome's inhabitants found stones to build their homes and cattle grazed. It was then called: the Campo Vaccino, or Cow Plain!
Then, the Renaissance arrived, as well as new interest for Ancient Roman remains, while churches squatted former Pagan temples, the wealthy decorated their homes with statues found in the Forum. You just had to dig to find something ! Serious archeological digs and clearing work only really started at the beginning of the 19th century.
Today, mutilated walls, colonnades, ruined temples or churches make up a magnificent landscape, when seen from the Palatine Hill. Despite the irreparable ravages of time, this site offers the melancholy majesty of a great extinct civilisation.
Colisseum - The biggest amphitheatre in the Roman world. The work on this huge arena began in 72 A.D., on part of the site occupied by Nero's Golden House (Domus Aurea). Its three arcaded tiers of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns are topped by a wall, punctuated by band-moulded pilasters. It is the biggest amphitheatre in the Roman world.
Originally known as the Flavian amphitheatre, it was later called the Colisseum, perhaps because of the huge statue of Nero which once stood near it, or simply because of its gigantic size: 1,500 feet in circonference and 170 feet high. The building was a symbol of Roman greatness and from the day of its inauguration by Titus, in 80 , the games lasted for a hundred days!
Inside, you'll see a large very rounded oval shape, surrounded by an impressive wall, once topped by terracing, where it is believed that about 50,000 spectators roamed. You can now see the wings, under the former arena... It is most unlikely that gladiators will be on stage again, even if there are fake ones near the edifice nowadays, ready to be photographed for a few cents. It is an unusual and entertaining sight to see retiarius and mirmillos, fitted out from foot to cape, suddenly spring up from the Colosseo underground station escalators !
Trevi Fountain - La Dolce Vita! Anita Ekberg in evening dress, bathing in the fountain: this picture from the Fellini film, La Dolce Vita, has increased this monumental fountain's fame. It is is a late Baroque masterpiece and the place is now hard to imagine without the blond Swedish girl's or Marcello Mastroianni's presence ! Instead, you might be in the middle of a thick crowd, dominated by groups of Japanese tourists and having to elbow your way to see something of the fountain...
The fountain is fed by a 14-mile long canal, built by Agrippa in 19 B.C., called the Acqua Vergine. One of the high reliefs, repaired by successive popes, reminds us that the canal finishes at this location. Pope Clement XII charged Nicola Salvi to build the fountain in 1732.
The architect gave the fountain a similar size to the palace onto which it is leaning and drew a triumphal arch from which springs forth the figure of the Ocean, perched on a chariot, guided by two marine horses and two tritons, while, Abundance and Salubrity watch over them from their niche.
Meanwhile, the good public bow to tradition by throwing two coins into the green waters. One will ensure that you will return to Rome, while the other enables you to make a wish.
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Trevi Fountain - La Dolce Vita! Anita Ekberg in evening dress, bathing in the fountain: this picture from the Fellini film, La Dolce Vita, has increased this monumental fountain's fame. It is is a late Baroque masterpiece and the place is now hard to imagine without the blond Swedish girl's or Marcello Mastroianni's presence ! Instead, you might be in the middle of a thick crowd, dominated by groups of Japanese tourists and having to elbow your way to see something of the fountain...
The fountain is fed by a 14-mile long canal, built by Agrippa in 19 B.C., called the Acqua Vergine. One of the high reliefs, repaired by successive popes, reminds us that the canal finishes at this location. Pope Clement XII charged Nicola Salvi to build the fountain in 1732.
The architect gave the fountain a similar size to the palace onto which it is leaning and drew a triumphal arch from which springs forth the figure of the Ocean, perched on a chariot, guided by two marine horses and two tritons, while, Abundance and Salubrity watch over them from their niche.
Meanwhile, the good public bow to tradition by throwing two coins into the green waters. One will ensure that you will return to Rome, while the other enables you to make a wish.