A Rome Holiday Attraction: The Roman Forum
by: LeonKammer |
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What may be one of the top archaeological locations in the world is located in a valley just between Capitoline Hill and Palatine Hill in Italy, and it is known as the Forum Romanum or the Roman Forum. Even before the first century AD, this valley was a hot bed of political and cultural life for citizens of the Roman Empire.
This amazing Forum took hundreds of years to build but by the seventh century BC it was already in place as a major part of Roman culture. It was Octavian, Julius Caesar's son, who saw the Forum reach its final form early in the first century AD.
Because the Roman Forum consisted of not one but a dozen temples, arches and other buildings, it earned the right to also be called by many "The Great Forum" or Forum Magnum. The location was originally marsh land that the designers drained and utilized to build an important cultural melting pot for social interaction, legal discussions, political discourse and religious activities for royalty and citizens of Rome alike.
After the Roman Empire fell in the early fifth century, the Roman Forum fell into such decay that, by the Middle Ages, the grounds had become pastures for grazing cattle. It took the Renaissance to discover the area again and to set in motion one of the longest restoration projects in history, which began early in the eighteenth century and is still ongoing right now.
But the restoration has been effective because walking around the vast complex of diverse structures, the glory of this facility can be appreciated.
Archaeologists have lovingly rebuilt and repaved the streets, and removed the growth and debris that centuries of neglect have left there. The transformation is so profound that it is open to the public to tour even today. But if you plan a trip to see the Roman Forum, you will not be able to get to see it all in one day. But even if you can only allocate one morning to seeing the site, you will come away with a sense of awe at the glory of the Roman Empire that is evident in this restored site.
The concept of "thinking big" that was typical of Roman designers of public buildings is certainly on display in the Forum in the "Temple of Venus and Roma." This vast temple which Emperor Hadrian designed and built is perched on a plateau with a perfect view of the Roman Colosseum.
Just as impressive is the Temple of Concord. In 367 this temple that was dedicated to peace took its place in the western quadrant of the Forum. At the peak of the Forum's glory, this temple was full of expensive statues made of silver and gold. Even after restoration today, it is striking evidence of the skills and abilities of the Roman builders.
Temples abounded in the Forum including Temples to Castor, Pollux, Vespasian, Saturn and many others and the ability of Roman builders to construct such a vast diversity of temples is a testimony to the vision, the leadership and the ability of Roman architects to make that vision a reality. In addition to the temples, the Forum had many other kinds of buildings as well.
Beautiful arches make strolling the walkways of the Roman Forum a delight. These arches were the creation of the Romans and they are so elegant and functional that nobody could improve on them for centuries to come. Two examples not to be missed are the Arch of Septimus Severus and the Arch of Titus.
The political hopefuls of Roman times loved to use The Rostra to make speeches to state their qualifications and positions. In a lot of ways life back then is like today, which you can almost feel when you spend time in the Forum. One stunning shrine that shows off how creative Roman builders were is the Lapis Niger, otherwise known as the Black Stone. When you are at this shrine admiring its beauty, you can also visit the Via Sacra shrine which is connected to it.
To say you have really experienced Rome means that you have set aside some time to visit this amazing area of cultural life and inspect the amazing structures at the Roman Forum. As you stroll the walkways and take it all in, it may give you pause to reflect on all that man can achieve and all that can be lost just as easily.
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Seeking rental apartments Rome? Visit Rome-Accom.com, your English-speaking apartment rental agency servicing all of Rome, and also providing Vacation apartments in Italy at Italy-Accom.com.
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