Is the Roman Forum worth visiting?

The Roman Forum was once a lively gathering place around 500 B.C.

The Roman Forum was an open-air area where there had many important buildings. The Romans would gather around for political, religious, and economic events.

It’s worth visiting the Roman Forum just to walk through the area to see the ruins that were beautiful buildings. Just imagine, a lot of these buildings were covered in stunning marble and stone before they got removed.

You’ll find the Roman Forum is between Palatine Hill and Capitoline Hill and also right near the Colosseum too. With so much to see at the Forum, let’s discuss some of the highlights!

Basilica’s

You’d imagine the basilicas were for religious purposes, where people would pray and do other religious ceremonies. But in fact, these basilicas were political buildings and a court of justice.

The Basilica of Maxentius got named after the 4th-century pagan emperor, Maxentius. But Emperor Maxentius got defeated by Emperor Constantine who became the first Christian Emperor. When Emperor Constantine took over, the basilica’s name changed to Basilica of Constantine. This basilica is the biggest building in the Roman Forum.

Basilica Emilia also spelled as Aemelia, is the only Republican Basilica left in the Forum. This basilica was rebuilt many times and was also burned down. There isn’t much left of the Basilica Julia, only now you’ll see the basement with the entrance and stairway.

Tempio di Saturno

The Temple of Saturn was once the Treasury of Rome, meaning it’s where all the treasure and money of Rome got stored. You will be able to see how thick the walls are and the eight tall pillars which are still standing today.

Arco di Tito

The Arch of Titus is one of the oldest remaining Roman Empire arches. Build in 82 A.D. as a tribute to Emperor Domitian’s brother, Emperor Titus after his death. The Arch represents and celebrates the victory he had in the Jewish War. Inside the arch, there are many sculptures.

With so much to see at the Forum, we highly recommend booking a tour. Your tour guide will lead you through the Forum while telling you about the history. Be prepared to learn so much on a tour as you walk through the ruins in the Forum. Just remember the gorgeous white marble the Romans used all throughout the Forum. Imagine how beautiful it would’ve once looked!