Roman Forum and the Palatine, Archaeological park in Rome, Italy
The Forum Romanum stretches across a rectangular valley between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, encompassing government buildings, temples and public spaces from antiquity. The site displays fragments of columns, arches and paved streets spread across multiple levels, with modern pathways running through them.
In the 8th century BC, a swampy lake basin was drained and transformed into the political center of Rome. After the fall of the empire, the area remained buried for centuries until archaeologists began systematic excavations in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The name Forum Romanum comes from the Latin for a public square; Romans called it Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum. The Via Sacra, the road triumphal processions took down from the Velian Hill, crosses the site, and the final travertine paving still visible dates from Augustus's reign.
The area is extensive and requires comfortable shoes, as visitors walk over uneven stones and sometimes steep paths. Shade is limited, so visiting in early morning or late afternoon is advisable, especially during summer months.
The Cloaca Maxima, one of the earliest sewage systems in the world, still flows beneath the site and remains operational after 2500 years. Some of its original stone channels can still be seen at certain points in the area.
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