Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
They spent 10 years training, 10 years as dignitaries representing Vesta, and 10
years teaching all they knew to the younger generation. At 40, they could finally
marry, and legend says that deflowering a vestal virgin was definitely something
Roman men fought ardently to do. The vestal virgins who couldn't adhere to their
vow of chastity until they reached 40 were buried alive. Not far away is the
Temple of Julius Caesar
—built on the site of his cremation—which is often
adorned with fresh roses laid down by a Roman woman who believes she is a
direct descendant.
Finally, you will come along to the
Sacred Way,
which leads in the direction
of the Campidoglio. Here you'll pass by the
Basilica Aemilia,
which housed the
administrative offices of ancient Rome, and finally the
Temple of Castor and
Pollux,
whose statues flank the entrance to the Piazza del Campidoglio. The
brothers are widely known as the saviors of Rome—they appeared out of nowhere
to inspire the Roman military in a battle in 499
B
.
C
. In this part of the forum are
several standing columns that mark the sites of what were once important build-
ings. The eight similar granite columns outline what was once the
Temple of
Saturn,
used as the city's treasury. The three white columns, attached by a broken
slab of marble on top, make up what was once a corner of the
Temple of
Vespasian.
The impressive display of 12 columns (though 5 are not original) is
what's left of the
Portico degli dei Consenti,
and a tall lone column is the
Column of Phocus,
which was the very last monument erected in the forum in
A
.
D
. 608. Near this far end of the forum is the massive
Arch of Septimius
Severus,
with its haunting carving in the center of the defeated Parthians (who
occupied modern-day Iran) being led to their death in chains. See also the steps
of the ruins of
Basilica Julia,
which was built by Julius Caesar to house the law
courts. Note the carved squares on the remaining steps—these were board games
used by those waiting for their day in court.
Also near here, look for the
Golden Milestone,
the point from which all roads
leading from Rome were measured. And don't miss the Rostrum, where
Shakespeare placed the delivery of Mark Antony's famous address, which began,
“Friends, Romans, countrymen . . .” The nearby Curia is a replica of the Roman
Senate, built in the 1930s. The original doors from the 3rd century
A
.
D
.now
adorn the Basilica of San Giovanni (p. 79).
There is much, much more in the Forum than what's mentioned here. You
could spend the whole day exploring it all, and you should if you have the time
and a detailed map or a site guide. But if you just want to skim the surface, as
we've done here, you can see the whole thing in about 1
1
⁄
2
hours before heading
next door to the Palatine Hill.
The Palatine Hill
The Forum may be from where Rome ruled the world, but the wonderfully green
grounds of the
Palatine
555
(Via San Gregorio, 30, or Piazza di Santa Maria
Nova, 53;
€
8 integrated ticket with Colosseum; daily 9am to 1 hr. before dusk)
are whence it all began. According to legend, this is where the mythical she-wolf
nursed Remus and Romulus, the latter of whom is said to have founded Rome.
This is also the spot where the proof of 8th-century
B
.
C
. huts from the Iron Age
can be seen, depicting the first known settlement in Rome. Emperors lived here,
and you can easily see why—the views of Rome's seven hills are breathtaking.
