Roman Forum — Attraction in Rome

The Roman Forum (Forum Romanum) is one of the most iconic archaeological sites in Rome, and it was the political, commercial, and religious heart of ancient Rome for over a millennium. Located between the Palatine Hill and the Capitoline Hill, the Forum was the center of public life where key events such as political speeches, criminal trials, and religious ceremonies took place.

Key Features of the Roman Forum

Historical Significance: • Political and Civic Center: The Roman Forum was the center of Roman public life, where the Senate met, triumphs were celebrated, laws were passed, and speeches were delivered. • Religious Importance: Many of Rome’s most important temples, including the Temple of Saturn, the Temple of Vesta, and the Temple of Julius Caesar, were located here. It was also home to the Vestals, priestesses who kept the sacred fire of Rome burning. • Marketplace and Commerce: The Forum was a bustling marketplace where people bought and sold goods, from food to slaves to luxury items. It was also where merchants, bankers, and other professionals conducted their business.

Key Structures and Monuments: • Temple of Saturn: One of the oldest temples in the Forum, it was dedicated to the god Saturn and housed the state treasury. Its iconic 8 standing columns are a well-known feature of the Forum today. • Temple of Vesta: This circular temple housed the sacred fire of Rome, which was tended by the Vestals. It was considered the symbol of Rome’s eternal life. • Temple of Julius Caesar: Built after the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC, this temple was dedicated to him as a god and served as a site of veneration for Caesar’s memory. • Arch of Titus: Erected by the Emperor Domitian in 81 AD to commemorate his brother Titus’ victories, particularly the conquest of Jerusalem in 70 AD. • Arch of Septimius Severus: A monumental triumphal arch built in 203 AD to celebrate the victories of Emperor Septimius Severus in the Parthian Wars. • Curia Julia: The Senate House, where the Roman Senate met. It was originally built by Julius Caesar and later restored by Emperor Diocletian. Its well-preserved state allows visitors to see how the Senate conducted affairs.

Political and Social Activities: • The Roman Forum was the location for speeches, elections, and the posting of important legal notices. • Public trials, including high-profile cases, were conducted in the Forum, often on the Rostra—the platform from which speakers addressed the public. • The Triumphs, celebrations for military victories, culminated in the Forum with processions and sacrifices.

Architectural Features: • The Forum is characterized by grand temples, basilicas (large public buildings), arches, and monuments, which reflect Rome’s imperial grandeur. • The layout of the Forum evolved over time, with new buildings constructed as the city grew in power and wealth. • Some of the buildings were designed to commemorate military victories, while others were dedicated to the gods or to Rome’s founding figures.

Decline and Excavation: • Decline: After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Forum gradually fell into disuse and was eventually buried under debris and earth. During the medieval period, it became a field for grazing animals and a site for other constructions. • Excavations: Large-scale excavations of the Roman Forum began in the 18th century and have continued ever since, revealing much of the ancient structures. Today, the Forum is one of the most important archaeological sites in Rome.

Modern-Day Significance: • The Roman Forum is a major tourist attraction and is often visited alongside the Colosseum and Palatine Hill as part of the “Ancient Rome” experience. • It offers a unique glimpse into the daily life, politics, and religion of ancient Rome and is a crucial site for understanding the development of Roman...

Shockingly anti-visitor rules, mercilessly stubborn staff not able or willing to communicate

WARNING! In the Roman Forum, you are let in, only to be thrown out again in a perfidious manner once you take a seemingly wrong path.

Where do I start? We had tickets, we were in, and then we unknowingly took a wrong turn and were thrown out consequently because of it!!

As soon as we took an obviously „wrong“ turn, the path behind us was blocked off in a cold-blooded manner.

Without warning, without any indication – bang, simply locked out because we "happened" to be on some way out (which was not obvious). Just a normal pathway on the site!

We had only been on the site for 20 minutes and had hardly seen anything. At the entrance we were told that the site closes at 6.30 p.m., BUT AREAS INSIDE WERE ACTUALLY CORDONED OFF way before – at 5.30 p.m.!

The height of audacity: We were cut off from one of our group members, and there was NO way back. The man suddenly sitting there in the way on a chair was absolutely merciless! We were advised to "try again" at the entrance. As if we didn't have real tickets! As if it was an amusement park where you want to ride the ghost train twice!

Now the absolute cheek: The people at the entrance were also absolutely stubborn. They didn't listen to us AT ALL, they fobbed us off and said that entry at 5:30 p.m. had already ended. Funny. Because we ACTUALLY HAD BEEN INSIDE already! They hit us with disgusting ignorance. Despite having valid tickets, we were treated as if we were trying to gain unauthorized access. An hour before closing time, at 5:40 p.m., we stood outside like complete idiots and had to watch as HUNDREDS of people still leisurely strolled around the grounds.

It is absolutely UNBELIEVABLE how paying guests are being treated here – with disinformation and merciless and disrespectful treatment. References to the fact that we were already on the grounds were simply ignored! They even acted as if they couldn't understand any English. Translations in Italian were also strictly ignored on the mobile phone shown! We were treated like dirt – with a valid ticket in our pockets!

In the end, we were on the site for mere 20 minutes, hardly saw anything and left in a cold rage. This impudence cannot be described in words. Especially since we had planned the visit ages ago!

And then this: At the Statue of Constantine, people were happily let in 2 minutes before closing time.

Conclusion: Catastrophic, disrespectful and absolutely unprofessional. A shame for a city like Rome!

Day of „visit“: 7....

Disclaimer: 3 stars for the overall experience as a tourist, 5+ stars for the actual content/history of this museum.

I love historical stuff, and the historical/archaeological stuff here is super interesting worthy of 10 stars! It's very big and if you like this stuff you could easily spend a whole day here. Standing here makes me feel connected with the past and words like impressive / grandiose fall short of describing this place.

However, the overall experience has a lot of room for improvement. This place is verryyy big. There was no official map on paper or online that I could find. Staff at ticket booth said to scan QR code inside. Once inside, there was nothing to scan, and close to zero staff members to ask for things like information/direction etc. I did ok with Rick Steves audio tour, but overall the signage inside is extremely poor. I ended up turning back at dead ends, turning around in circles trying to find the entrance to something, and walking back and forth down the 2 main roads of the forum to find what I wanted to see. That adds up to a lot of walking, fyi. And most of the roads are uneven stones or dirt roads. frequent stairs too. This especially pertains to the "super sites". Once I found them, they were truly amazing archaeological sites to see, but the process of finding their individual entrances was painstaking. Again, like I said, unhelpful or nonexistent signage, and no staff to ask. I had to rely on Google maps, which was only half reliable.

The few staff that were present near the entrances all seemed pretty genuinely disinterested in being there. I get it, it's sweaty and hot in Rome, but still, genuinely disinterested staff in such a magnificent museum is really demoralizing. Also, the staff will often close things slightly ahead of the stated closing time / last entrance time. That was annoying, and I don't think it's right. I wanted to use the washrooms on my way out. It was still 10 min before closing time, but washrooms were closed already...

Despite all of that, the experience of being able to see / feel / learn about this amazing historical site is still worthwhile. The awesome view from the palatine hill Belvedere was also unbeatable (but which also took forever to find lol). If you don't like history though, it's just a bunch of brick/stone/marble ruins. Whether or not it's worth it depends on preference. I def think worth it even after all the...