After leaving the Colosseum we walked towards the site of the ancient Forum but on the way we stopped at a ‘digs’.
Archaeologists at work.
It seems that whenever anyone wants to undertake a new building in Rome, (or probably even do any renovations)
Before building, this area will be inspected for historical treasures
the archaeologists have to be consulted as treasures might be found anywhere, particularly around the Colosseum and other ancient sites.
Palatine Hill and Roman Forum
The idea of using Viator Tours, visit them at http://viator.com was partly to avoid queues, but waiting here, outside the gate to ‘Ancient Rome,’ I was so excited that the wait didn’t matter. Once inside, there was so much to see and Lucia was so enthusiastic and informative that I found it impossible to record her words, take photos and have any chance of remembering more than what were, for me, the highlights. So, for those of you who are Roman history buffs, please excuse my mistakes and fell free to correct my efforts.
The Arch of Septimius Severus
Pretty impressive isn’t it? The Arch of Septimius Severus is one of the triumphal arches, erected in 203 AD to celebrate the victories by Septimius and his sons, over the Parthians. 
Other remains nearby include the former Tabularium which housed the state archive and a few columns from the Temple of Saturn. I think the open grassed are was once the Sacred Way and on the right was the Basilica Aemilia, where commerce and political activities took place. Once a magnificent building, with lots of marble, it had elegant arches separated by Grecian columns. Those Romans knew how to build and how to enjoy life.
Temple of Antoninus and Faustina
The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina was erected in 141 AD. Emperors and sometimes their wives were regarded as gods, hence the temples that were built in their honour. This one had an interesting twist though, as it was converted to a Christian church in the 18th century and it looks to be still usable today.
Temple of Castor and Pollux
The Temple of Castor and Pollux didn’t survive so well, but these remaining columns stand out for miles around. I was careful to not stand too close as they looked a bit precarious to me. Tiberius had the building restored in 6 AD. It was used for senate meetings and must have been very impressive at the time
Site of the home of the Vestal Virgins
Our next stop was at what had
Their garden?
once been the house of the Vestal Virgins, whose role it was to look after the ‘sacred fire’ in their temple. They had underground heating and what looked like a former pool in the garden area nearby. I don’t think they were sacrificed as some other ‘religious’ virgins were and there was no mention of duties to the priests, but I did wonder if their lives were really as good as we were led to believe. The black clad figure in the picture is me. The weather forecast was variable so I carried my light raincoat most days – using it as protection from the sun on this day, which turned rather hot.
Remains of the Basilica Maxentius
The Basilica Maxentius, once one of the most magnificent structures in Rome, was completed by Constantine in about 315 AD. The high, coffered, barrel vault can still be viewed and admired in this part of one remaining aisle. Renaissance artists copied the idea of a large central aisle with columns linking it to the two side aisles for many of the beautiful cathedrals that they designed and built.
The Arch of Titus
Our last stop before going to the ‘main event’ was the Arch of Titus. This triumphal arch was built to celebrate victory over the Jews. Instead of the usual fighting scenes, one side depicts the procession of returning heroes coming through the gate.
At this stage we were tired, hot and grateful for the bits of stone ruins to sit on while we waited for Lucia to find our guide to the Palaces of Augustus and Olivia, further along the Palatine Hill. Not many people have seen these palaces and Lucia wasn’t an expert on their history.
At last we were able to head off to see the homes of the Emperor Augustus and that built for Livia when she was widowed. The uphill walk on Palatine Hill was quite strenuous and we seemed to travel for miles, or maybe I was just tired at that stage. Once we arrived at the entry to the first palace everyone was busy taking photos – so busy that I couldn’t write notes at the same time, so although I have the images, I didn’t catch much information. The first selection is inside the House of Augustus.
I was impressed by the high quality of these frescoes from the 1st century BC, well preserved because they were buried until the 19th (I think) century.
To get to the House of Livia we walked outside along another pathway, past water pipes which record the date when they were installed. Although she was the wife, not the imperial leader, her house seemed more luxurious. Possibly this is because Augustus purposefully presented a modest persona to the people to counter the effect of his predecessors in their wasteful and grandiose use of the public purse. (Hark back to Nero).
This sign and the one below provide some of the stories attached to the palace.
We know when Livia’s house was built because the date is on these pipes on the wall. The frescoes on the wall are quite beautiful and the remains of marble can be seen on the floor.
