The Roman Forum (also known as the Roman Forum in Italian, or simply the Forum) is one of the major ancient sites in Rome, as well as one of Rome’s top attractions for visitors. Occupying a vast space between the Colosseum, the Capitoline Hill and the famous Palatine Hill, the Forum was the center of the political, religious and commercial life of ancient Rome and provides a glimpse of the splendor that once was the Roman Empire. The Via dei Fori Imperiali , a wide boulevard built during Mussolini’s reign in the early 20th century, forms the eastern edge of the Forum.
Roman Forum Visitor Information
Hours: every day from 8:30 a.m. M. An hour before sunset; closed on January 1, May 1 and December 25.
Location: Via della Salaria Vecchia, 5/6. Colosseum Metro stop (Line B)
Entrance: The current entrance price is € 12 and includes entrance to the Colosseum and Palatine Hill. You can avoid the line by buying tickets for the Colosseum and the Roman Forum in advance.
Information: Check current times and prices online or buy tickets online in euros with the reservation fee.
You can also visit the Roman Forum with the Roma Pass, a cumulative ticket that offers free or reduced fares for more than 40 attractions and includes free transportation on Rome’s buses, metro and trams.
The forum contains many ancient buildings, monuments, and ruins. You can choose a Forum plan at the entrance or at any number of kiosks throughout Rome.
History of the Roman Forum
The construction in the Forum dates back to the 7th century BC. C. At the northern end of the Forum, near the Capitoline Hill, are some of the oldest ruins of the Forum, including the marble remains of the Aemilia Basilica (note that a basilica in Roman times was a site of business and money loans); the Curia, where the Roman senators met; and the Rostra, a platform on which the first speakers gave speeches, were built in the 5th century BC. C.
In the 1st century BC. C., when Rome began its reign over the Mediterranean and the great fringes of Europe, numerous constructions were raised in the Forum. The Temple of Saturn and the Tabularium, the state archives (now accessible through the Capitoline Museums), were built around 78 BC. Julio César began to construct the Basilica Julia, that had to be a court of justice, in 54 a. C.
A pattern of construction and destruction continued in the Forum for hundreds of years, beginning in 27 BC. With the first emperor of Rome, Augustus, and until the IV century d. C., when the Western Roman Empire was conquered by the Ostrogoths. After this time, the Forum fell into disrepair and almost total darkness. During the hundreds of years that followed the Sack of Rome, the Forum was used primarily as a quarry for other constructions around Rome, including the Vatican walls and many of Rome’s churches.
It wasn’t until the late 18th century that the world rediscovered the Roman Forum and began to excavate its buildings and monuments in a scientific way. Even today, archaeologists in Rome continue excavations at the Forum in hopes of discovering another priceless fragment from antiquity.
