Tickets and visits for the roman forum
Hotels, B&B and rooms near the monument
View of the forum with the Arch of Septimius Severus
The Roman Forum is one of the most fascinating archaeological sites of the Roman world, a remarkable opportunity to travel back in time.
A full visit may take several hours to explore its countless remains and delve into the rich history of its many buildings. The Via Sacra, an ancient paved street, runs through the site for nearly 600 meters, linking the Colosseum to the Capitoline Hill.
The heart of Roman public life
Also known as the Republican Forum, this site was for nearly a thousand years the center of Roman public life. From the early days of the Republic to the final centuries of the Empire, it hosted a myriad of political, religious, commercial, and judicial activities.
The remains visible today date from different periods. Some of the oldest monuments have vanished, often buried under layers of earth accumulated over the centuries or incorporated into new buildings. However, the marks left by the emperors remain, with emblematic structures such as: The Temple of Vespasian and Titus; The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina; The Arch of Septimius Severus, built in 203 to commemorate the emperor’s victories over the Parthians.
The last major structures include the Temple of Romulus and the Basilica of Maxentius, erected at the beginning of the 4th century. Lastly, the Column of Phocas, dedicated in 608 to the Byzantine emperor, was the last monument added to the forum.
Timetables, prices and forum visit
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| Roman Forum Via della Salara Vecchia, 5/6, 00186 Rome Information and booking: +39.06.39967700 (From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily) | ||
Opening Hours
Tickets
Free on the first Sunday of each month, but no access to the arena or underground areas of the Colosseum on that day.
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Links
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The origin of the forum and its evolution
Originally, the Forum valley was a marshy and inhospitable area. Between the 10th and 7th centuries BC, it served as a necropolis for the villages established on the surrounding hills.
Around 600 BC, under the reign of the Etruscan king Tarquin the Elder, the valley was transformed. A large canal, the precursor of the famous Cloaca Maxima, was dug to drain stagnant water towards the Tiber. The ground, initially leveled with compacted earth, gradually became a central space dedicated to urban life.
The Forum then became Rome’s main public square, bringing together temples, sanctuaries, and political buildings such as the Curia, where the Roman Senate met. From the 2nd century BC onwards, basilicas were added to accommodate judicial activities. This hub of activity was constantly animated by the presence of lawyers, priests, merchants, and citizens who came to listen to speeches delivered from the Rostra, a symbolic platform from which political orators addressed the people directly.
The imperial extensions of the forums
Faced with the increasing congestion of the main Forum, Julius Caesar initiated the construction of an additional space: the Forum of Caesar. His example was followed by his successors, and under the Empire, other forums were built, notably the Forum of Augustus, the Forum of Peace, the Forum of Nerva, and finally the majestic Forum of Trajan, built after the leveling of a ridge connecting the Capitoline to the Quirinal.
Roman Forum walking tour
Map of the Roman Forum
The Via Sacra and the Capitoline Hill
The Via Sacra (Sacred Way in English) is the main artery of the forum, connecting east to west. It was used by generals returning from military campaigns to pay homage at the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, located on the Capitoline Hill.
North of the Via Sacra, near the Capitoline, is the Basilica Aemilia, dating from the Republican era (2nd century BC), where justice was administered and shops were set up. Nearby, you pass the Curia Julia, seat of the Roman Senate, whose origins date back to the first kings of Rome. It was rebuilt several times. In front of this building, a black marble slab marks the location of the Lapis Niger, a black stone which, according to tradition, indicates the place of death of Romulus, founder of Rome. This stone, dating from the 6th–5th centuries BC, is now kept at the Baths of Diocletian Museum.
View of the western part of the forum
To the south, opposite the Curia, stands the imposing Arch of Septimius Severus. Erected at the foot of the Capitoline Hill in 203 AD to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the emperor’s reign, it is also dedicated to his son Caracalla and commemorates victories against the Parthians. It is the best-preserved monument in the forum.
The northern side of the Forum, at the foot of the Capitoline, is bordered by the Rostra, a semicircular platform used by orators and magistrates to address the people. Originally decorated with the rostra, bronze ship prows taken from ships defeated at the Battle of Anzio (338 BC), they were moved under Julius Caesar and remodeled under Augustus.
Between the Rostra and the Tabularium, where the archives of the Roman state were kept, stood three temples: the Temple of Concord (3rd century BC), now disappeared; the Temple of Vespasian and Titus (1st century AD), of which three columns remain; and the former Temple of Saturn, dating from the early 5th century BC and rebuilt in 42 BC, where eight Ionic columns are still visible.
The Capitoline Tabularium and the Temple of Saturn
The Portico of the Divine Counselors, located at the northwest corner, was adorned with gilded statues representing the twelve major pagan gods, arranged between Corinthian columns.
The Heart of the Forum and the Basilica Julia
To the southwest of the forum, south of the Via Sacra, stands the Basilica Julia, begun by Julius Caesar in 54 BC to replace the Basilica Sempronia. Featuring five naves and two levels, it hosted judicial activities and civil affairs.
To the north of the Basilica Julia lies the area corresponding to the original forum, called the Comitium. Several statue bases remain there, as well as the column dedicated to Emperor Phocas, erected late in 608 AD to honor the Byzantine emperor Phocas, although the column itself dates from the 2nd century AD.
To the east of the Basilica Julia still stand the three remaining columns of the Temple of the Dioscuri, dedicated to Castor and Pollux. This temple, inaugurated in 484 BC, was rebuilt in the 1st century AD. It commemorated the Roman victory at the Battle of Lake Regillus (496 BC) against the Latins and the Tarquin kings expelled from Rome. It served as a gathering place for Romans after battles. Nearby, in the central part of the Forum, remain the ruins of the Temple of the Divine Caesar, erected in 29 BC by Augustus in honor of the deified Julius Caesar.
On the other side, the street of the Vicus Tuscus leads to the imposing Horrea Agrippiana, warehouses dating from the time of Augustus where grain was stored. Nearby, on the slope of the Palatine, are the remains of buildings from the era of Domitian and Hadrian, including a quadriporticus that housed the church of Santa Maria Antiqua, founded in the 6th century and containing fine Byzantine paintings. Next to it, the Oratory of the Forty Martyrs was arranged in a Roman hall, at the foot of the Domitian Staircase which led to the Imperial Palaces on the Palatine.
The Temple of Vesta with the Basilica Julia in the foreground
Going up the Via Sacra towards the east, the foundations of the Regia are visible, the former royal residence of the Tarquins, attributed to Rome’s second king, Numa Pompilius. This place had a religious dimension under the Republic and retained a sacred function for a long time. It was the residence of the chief priest, the Pontifex Maximus, and was associated with the cult of Mars.
Opposite the Regia stands the Temple of Vesta, one of Rome’s oldest and most important sanctuaries. This circular temple preserves only a portion with three columns. It dates from the early kings of Rome and was rebuilt in 191 AD. Here the Vestal Virgins maintained the sacred fire, linked to the fate of Rome, near the House of the Vestals.
The Sacred Sanctuaries and the Eastern Part of the Via Sacra
To the north, on a high podium across the Via Sacra, stands the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, built by Antoninus Pius in 141 AD. Ten columns of the atrium remain, while the cella was transformed in the 11th century into the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda.
It neighbors the Temple of Romulus, whose rotunda is remarkably preserved and integrated into the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian. This temple could date from the Temple of Jupiter, built in the 3rd century BC, but was rebuilt at the beginning of the 4th century by Emperor Maxentius in honor of his son Romulus, who died prematurely.
The Via Sacra leading to the Arch of Titus
The large rectangular building located northeast of the Forum is the Basilica of Maxentius, built by the emperor of the same name at the beginning of the 4th century and completed by Constantine. This building housed a court with a vast hall, divided into three naves by large marble columns, with the apse occupied by a colossal statue of Constantine.
At the northeastern end of the Forum, behind the church of Santa Francesca Romana, stand the remains of the largest Roman temple, the Temple of Venus and Rome, built in 135 AD by Hadrian. The podium, parts of columns, and a partially reconstructed pseudo-colonnade remain. This temple was dedicated to the celebration of Rome, especially on April 21, the anniversary of the city’s founding.
Finally, the Arch of Titus, erected in 81 AD, marks the eastern end of the Forum. Well preserved, it was built in honor of Vespasian and Titus by Domitian, Titus’s brother, to celebrate their victorious campaign in Judea.
Monuments of the forum
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Map and address
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Roman Forum photo gallery
Ancient views in art
Resources
Maps of the Roman forum
Maps of the forum in the republican and imperial eras
