Rome & Lazio - Italy - page 157

heart of the ancient world, a grandiose district of marble-clad temples, basilicas and vi-
brant public spaces.
Originally an Etruscan burial ground, the area was first developed in the 7th century BC
and expanded over subsequent centuries to become the centre of the Roman Republic. In
the Middle Ages it was reduced to pasture land - the so-called Campo Vaccino (literally
'Cow Field') - and extensively plundered for its marble. The area was systematically ex-
cavated in the 18th and 19th centuries and work continues to this day.
Entering from Largo della Salara Vecchia - you can also enter directly from the Pal-
atino - you'll see the Tempio di Antonino e Faustina OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ahead to your
left. Erected in AD 141 and dedicated to the empress Faustina and emperor Antoninus Pi-
us, it was transformed into a church in the 8th century, so the soaring columns now frame
the Chiesa di San Lorenzo in Miranda . To your right the Basilica Fulvia Aemilia OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP , built in 179 BC, was a 100m-long public hall, with a two-storey porticoed
facade.
At the end of the short path, you come to Via Sacra OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , the For-
um's main thoroughfare, and the Tempio di Giulio Cesare OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Temple of
Julius Caesar) , built by Augustus in 29 BC on the site of Caesar's cremation.
Head right up Via Sacra and you reach the Curia OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , the original
seat of the Roman Senate. This was rebuilt on various occasions before being converted
into a church in the Middle Ages. What you see today is a 1937 reconstruction of the
Curia as it looked during the reign of Diocletian (r 284-305).
In front of the Curia, and hidden by scaffolding, is the Lapis Niger OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP , a large piece of black marble that covered a sacred area said to be the tomb
of Romulus.
At the end of Via Sacra stands the 23m-high Arco di Settimio Severo OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP (Arch of Septimius Severus) , a robust triumphal arch dedicated to the eponymous
emperor and his two sons, Caracalla and Geta. Built in AD 203, it commemorates Roman
victory over the Parthians. Nearby, at the foot of the Tempio di Saturno, is the Millarium
Aureum OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , which marked the centre of ancient Rome, from where
distances to the city were measured.
On your left are the remains of the Rostrum OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , an elaborate po-
dium where Shakespeare had Mark Antony make his famous 'Friends, Romans, country-
men…' speech. In front of this, the Colonna di Foca OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Column of