Rome/Roman Forum

The Roman Forum (Italian, Foro Romano) [1] represents the original Forum Romanum, the marketplace and the veritable heart of ancient Rome.

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Culture and History

Located in a small valley between the Capitoline and Palatine hills

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Travel to Roman Forum, visa requirements

Access to the Forum is by foot only, from an entrance on the Via dei Fori Imperiali.

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Get around

The only way to see the Forum is by foot. Wheelchair access is available for most of the Forum but be aware that the path is often bumpy due to it containing original stones from the ancient Roman period.

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Roman Forum attractions and sightseeing

The Forum is often less crowded than the neighboring Colliseum, but holds even more history. Open Mo-Sa 9am-6pm (summer), 9am-3pm (winter), Sundays 9am-1pm year-round. Admission free.

Tip:It is possible to hire an audioguide for €4 from a small booth just above the Arch of Titus near the Coliseum. These audioguides contain an audio jack meaning that two people can easily share one.

• the Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina (Tempio di Antonio e Faustina) - built in 141 AD and dedicated to the empress Faustina; after her husband emperor Antoninus Pius died in 161 AD the temple was rededicated to the couple.
• the Basilica Aemilia - completed in 179 BC
• the Curia (Senate House) - the 4th rebuilding of the meeting place for the Roman Senate, once converted into a church during the Middle Ages, but now restored since the 1930s
• the Lapis Niger (Black Stone)
• the Arch of Septimius Severus (Arco di Settimio Severo) - erected in 203
• the Temple of Saturn (Tempio di Saturno)
• the Temple of Julius Caesar (Tempio di Giulio Cesare) - finished in 29 BC, marks the spot of Caesar's spontaneous cremation and Mark Antony's funeral speech, made famous by Shakespeare in his play Julius Caesar ("Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears....")
• the Temple of Castor and Pollux
• the Arch of Titus - built in 81 AD by the emperor Domition in dedication to his brother Titus, who died earlier that year and reigned as emperor from 79-81, overseeing the opening of the Colosseum in 80 and the eruption of Mt Vesuvius the previous year.

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Hotels, youth hostels, lodging

• Hotel Palatino, Via Cavour, 213/M, ☎ +39 06 4814927 (info@hotelpalatino.com, fax: +39 06 4740726), [2]. The Grand Hotel Palatino is situated in the heart of the ancient center of Rome, just a short walk away from the Coliseum (Colosseo) and the Imperial Forums.